"I don't want any other woman or girl feeling like the way that I felt; that I didn't belong." –@iamamurray https://t.co/xKTHq5vrMt
— Teen Vogue (@TeenVogue) October 4, 2017
On being confused for other black actresses: "It happens all the time. It still happens. It's something that I have dealt with for a while. I noticed it when I first started working. Even in commercials, my friends or friends of friends would tag me in photos and be like, "Oh my God, is this you?" It's the most random other black girl. It doesn't look anything like me, we're not even the same age. There's always this underlying perception and that joke of every black person looks alike. You can label that for any race, but it tends to happen a lot with people of color. Specifically, with black women. It's just unnecessary. People aren't confusing Madelaine with anyone else, or Lily, or Cole, or KJ, or anybody. I think it's something that needs to be talked about and pointed out.
We are not all the same. If you care that much, if you're that invested in us as artists and the changes that we're trying to make and the work that we're putting out there, then at least give us the same decency and respect to know that I am not Yara Shahidi and never will I be."
On the importance of representation: "That is the biggest part of why I do what I do. I grew up saying "I want to be famous," but that was just the words that you used. As I got older, I understood that what I really meant was, "I want to be successful." With that success, I wanted to have a larger reach, so that girls that look like me, or feel like they had a connection to me and have gone through the same struggles that I do, know that they're not alone. [So they] know that it's okay to be different, and know that they are beautiful even if they don't see themselves represented everywhere or they see negative connotations about their own culture, but when it's appropriated, it's praised. To know that they have words and that they have a place in this world. ...
I know that I'm a role model for a lot of people, and I'd like to be. I know that there are people who probably don't agree with how I think or how I see myself and my place in this world. That's OK. I would be remiss not to take advantage of this platform that I have, because I don't want any other woman or girl feeling like the way that I felt; that I didn't belong; that I would never succeed in the medium that I'm choosing to pursue because my hair isn't straight or my skin isn't light or my eyes aren't bright. There are so many things that tend to play against us. I think it's important to speak out about it"
She also says that while the show doesn't really get political this season (like when Josie would shut down Archie on his white male privilege) that she tries to "work as closely as I can with the writers to make sure that we are not leaning into stereotypes or an idea of "blackness" simply because that is the complexion that I hold playing this character."
In terms of what's in store for this season, she mentions that she has more scenes with Cheryl and that she'd just love to have more scenes with other characters in general. It's brought up how detached Josie was in the first season to the main plotline, and she sounds like Josie does get more involved this time around. Possible tensions with her mother the mayor (played by Robin Givens) and getting to interact with more people since she'll be joining the Vixens.
She'll also have a love-hate relationship with Reggie
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