Nia Long Quotes

I admire the women who can have babies and jump right back to work. As a nursing mother, I couldn’t sit there and just pump all day. I needed to be close to my baby.

Enjoy life, study hard, play hard, be kind to other people, set high standards, and don't be afraid to say "No."

I think it's a beautiful thing when you wear a uniform or a garb which represents a group of people, because what it immediately symbolizes is oneness, togetherness.

The last step will be letting my hair go natural. That's when you'll know I'm free.

Every woman deserves diamonds, and even if you can't afford to go out and buy diamonds for yourself or you don't have actual stone diamonds, I think when we look at ourselves we should refer to ourselves as a precious stone.

I think that if something matters to you, and is important to you, then you give it the attention and energy it deserves. So, I don't look upon it as a price, but as an opportunity to influence the community in a healthy way.

I attribute my talent and my success to God, but I believe that the only way you can manifest what He has ordained for you is by being close to Him and by making it happen. But we have to stay close to Him in order to be an image of Him.

There are black men who are madly in love with white women. God bless them, if that's what works for them. I just hope that we can strike a balance that portrays black folks and the black family in a light that's not extreme. Those are the types of characters that I find myself attracted to.

I'm a self-made woman. I've never compromised myself.

So I think if we’d just take our time as women, and do what comes natural to us and for us, we would make fewer mistakes.

I have a four year old and I'm telling you we did Nickelodeon last night and he embarrassed me. It was like one of those moments when I couldn't believe my kid is acting like this. I just had to just like walk away from him because he was really pushing my buttons.

I can look at myself in the mirror every night knowing I've never ever pretended to be someone I know I'm not for the sake of showbiz industry. I believe that it's important to live by your truth in order to be able to sleep peacefully when you rest your head at night. I've gone off and taken breaks, not necessarily by choice, but life has a way of giving you breaks, even when you don't want them, especially in this industry. So, I've had a chance to raise my children and to be a mom, and to come back to do more in film and television. I really cannot complain.

First of all when you're a mommy like you like the consistency of being on a show like that's just peace of mind, I know I have financial, you know stability.

I've seen some great write ups and I emailed her the other night because I saw her on an awards show recently.

I think you grow through your experiences; you get better as you grow and I'm not nearly where I think I'm going to be eventually where I inspire to be and hopefully the opportunities will continue to come.

I've always been raised to love everyone, to accept everyone for their differences, and to just be open. But at a young, a very young age, I realized what racism was all about.

It's like going to the gym everyday. It really is. I work hard on my craft, I sweat a little bit, I run a little bit, I might sprain an ankle every now and them, but it's all good and the more you do it, the more in shape you are and it's like a machine.

I don't think you should reprimand your child for everything you're feeling because for them it's as serious as when something happens in our day and we get upset about it.

I think Nina Simone has had an amazing journey. She was spicy and she had attitude and she didn't care, she wanted her money in a paper bag and don't mess with me and I've been doing some research on that so.

All of us have moments in our lives when we have to choose between what we know is right and what we feel obligated to do.

I'm kind of pinching myself in the morning. Like, wait, you really did pray to have a body of work that stays diversified and interesting. And I have it!

I know how to make other women look beautiful: from hair to makeup to wardrobe. So, I feel that I have a gift with imaging, and that's kind of fundamental to the music video process.

Good shoes and a good scent make the perfect day.

I learned there's a tremendous amount of sisterhood among Muslim women, which I thought was really beautiful.

I believe everyone should have the freedom to represent what they believe-in in their own way.

In talking and communicating, [it's important that we] really share information with one another - because I think that leads to better understanding - and also just kind of [educate] one another in a way that's really honest.

I would love to have the ability to see inside everyone's heart before I heard them speak or even saw their faces.

To put it in layman's terms, crazy is crazy. And crazy will find a way to do something crazy. Racist is racist. And racist people will find a way to project their racism onto the world.

I think that's the most important thing: that we create dialogue.

I'm more of a short-hair girl; short hair is a lot more low-maintenance than long hair. And when you're in front of camera every day and your hair is being flatironed and blow-dried it's easier to have a weave so you don't damage your own hair.

I think we need to talk about mental illness a lot more. People complain about tax dollars and say we don't have the money. But if we can't put some of our investments, or some of our money back into humans, isn't that where it all begins?

I feel it's that I don't ever give up on myself, and I'd rather run a marathon than a sprint. Personally, I think I'm a slow learner who's getting better every year, every moment, every project. I've met so many amazing people along the way. And there's no gimmick with me. What you see is what you get.

I am in constant search for that project that speaks to me personally. And when all the pieces come together properly, it'll happen.

I feel that single mommies don't get enough praise and accolades. I've had first-hand experience. My mother was a single mom. As far as I'm concerned, mommies, in general, rule the world. And single mothers just take it to a whole other level.

Collaboration is necessary for making great art. Everybody has a perspective on what they think or feel the material should ultimately look like when it hits the screen.

I would say that I learned that the heartbreak wasn't as much about me as the fact that my partner wasn't right with himself. I see where his life has taken him, and realize that the handwriting was on the wall. There were things that I had blamed myself for, but it was really more about his choices, his needs and his journey as a person. His desire for too much of everything made it a challenging relationship.

As long as the acting is good, I can appreciate it.

My priorities are really about creating balance in my home, making sure that I have enough time with my kids, making sure that I have the time to do the things that I want to do with my career, and to continue to make movies.

I want to have conversations, because they give you confidence in your choices. I learned it first on Boyz n the Hood, but it is not a race-based experience - it is part of the artistic process.

Try to find fellowship... And try to find sisterhood... And try to find that village that can help you support your journey and your kids and your experiences. Never lose a sense of yourself throughout the process, and still pursue your dreams as a mom.

I love shoes. I am a shoe fanatic. I have a special closet in my home just for my shoes.

So much of parenting is following your instincts, and taking the time to actually know your child.

I have been in situations where actors are treated like robots: say the lines, say it like this, we don't have time for conversations. That is a terrible position to be in as an artist. You feel used.

I think there are a lot of other actors that are just talented, it's just about this opportunity - it's just about when are we going to be put in those positions where we can shine.

Marriage is not a priority for me. I'm not saying I'll never do it. It's just not where we are as a family . . . I'll be at home with my man, having a perfectly loving time, and I'll see all these comments on some site about how wrong I am for not being married. I don't feel less loved or less loving because I'm not married.

Weave sex is a little awkward.

Directing music videos is all about capturing images.

It's hard to judge yourself. Each Essence cover represents a different special moment in my life. One is about keeping it sexy in my 40s, so I'm not mad about that either.

I don't really like to compare my life as an actress and being my son's mother. My personal life and my professional life are very different, and I try to keep them separate, just because my personal life is so precious to me.

Whether you're playing a mom on-screen or you're in a car pool lane driving your child to school in the morning, there are similarities that are undeniable. And once you're a mother, there are certain things that are instinct. You just have a better understanding of what it means to be a mother.