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Queen Latifah

Happy birthday, Queen! 10 times Latifah inspired us all

Jaleesa M. Jones
USA TODAY
All hail the Queen.

Whether bringing U.N.I.T.Y to the hip-hop community with her Afrocentric feminism or Bringing Down The House in Hollywood with her raw characters, Queen Latifah has always been a standout. And yet, the Jersey girl has always remained grounded and always put the ladies first. So, today, in honor of Latifah's 46th birthday, we wanted to celebrate her and remember some of the insightful commentary she's shared over her nearly three-decade-long career in entertainment.

Like when she explained the power of hip-hop as a conduit for social awareness...  

"I think by us bringing knowledge to our people, we’re bringing knowledge to other people and letting them know how we live. That’s where it becomes more universal. That’s where the teaching becomes universal. I mean, it’s directed at the black culture but it’s for something for everyone to know." (Slammin' Rap Video Magazine1990) 

...but didn't mince words about misogyny within the hip-hop community. 

"I had a problem with (misogyny). I was never the kind of person that was going to take something lying down, and maybe that’s my father’s influence on me. I just was raised to protect myself and stand up for myself and speak my mind and be true. And even if I had to stand alone, I was to do that." (HuffPost Live, October 2015)

When she didn't let Hollywood's stringent beauty ideals impede her transition from rapping to acting...  

"We were young entrepreneurs — we were used to creating things for ourselves. I wasn’t expecting people to have what was right for me, because they just wouldn’t. They wouldn’t see me as an A-list actor, this young black woman from North New Jersey, who was not a size 2 — more like a size 10 at the time. (I didn’t have) long, flowy hair all the way down my back and light eyes and whatever comes along with those archaic ideas of typical beauty. Growing up in New York, you see the dynamic of beauty with so many different cultures and people — that’s always been normal — so (my attitude) was, 'How do I get them to see [me] as what’s right?'" (Backstage, May 2015)

...and then challenged studios that pressured her to assimilate.  

"Any time someone would say, 'You need to lose some weight' — even back as far as Living Single — I'm like, 'I don't know if you've been to Brooklyn lately, but we look more like the women in Brooklyn than what you're trying to make us look like!'" (Woman's Day, October 2008)

Queen Latifah photographed at Merrion Square pub in Manhattan.

When she spoke on body positivity and offered advice on how to reach that hallowed place... 

"I think I got to that place by not being happy with the other side — hating your body and criticizing yourself all the time. When I was around 18, I looked in the mirror and said, 'You're either going to love yourself or hate yourself.' And I decided to love myself. That changed a lot of things." (Good Housekeeping, December 2013)

...and reminded us all of our worth.  

"I feel like every woman is a queen, and we should be treated as such, and we should, you know, sort of request that sort of treatment from others. So, putting on your crown is really like accepting the fact that you are a queen. You're a great woman. Wherever you are in life, just keep on that path." (CNN, July 2010)

When she offered advice on how to deal with the trials of life...

"It's not just about what happens. It's about your response to it. So, the response is not to lay down and die, you know, to just take it. Response is to challenge it, to fight back. to fight through, to fight through it." (CNN, July 2010)

...and specifically encouraged survivors of abuse to not let themselves be silenced. 

"You have to say something," Latifah, who was abused by a babysitter at age 5, stressed. "The power of those who perpetrate the abuse is your fear and your shame…and that's unacceptable." (Good Housekeeping, December 2013)

Speak, La.

When she explained how fear motivated her... 

"I’ve always approached things with hunger and just enough fear. Plenty of confidence, you know, but just enough fear to work extra hard. Paralyzing fear does nothing, but the kind of fear that makes you nervous enough to really be aware and focused? I like that kind of fear. It’s the same fear I feel on a motorcycle. It’s not enough to paralyze me—if anything it makes me more focused, more aware, more heightened. And I ride hard." (Backstage, May 2015)

...and encouraged those who don't fit into prescribed boxes to keep powering through.  

"I hope that anyone out there who does not come in the package people say you should, keep fighting for it. Flip those rocks over. Keep pushing. Keep turning, you can do it! You build your own boxes, not people. So knock that thing away and do you!" (SAG Awards 2016)

Happy birthday, La! 

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