How to raise yourself up, by Viola Davis

“The biggest response I get from girls – especially young, dark-skinned women, but Caucasian and Hispanic girls too – is they cry to me, because I validated them. I don’t think people understand what that means, when people see you and when people don’t see you.

I grew up poor and when you’re poor, you are invisible. Nobody talks about poor people, even during elections. Being invisible has got to be the worst feeling. It is like falling into a hole that is about 400ft deep, getting your legs and your arms broken and needing to crawl out, but having no resources: no water, no food, no rope that anyone is throwing you. That’s what invisibility feels like. How do you crawl out? How do you do it?

Studies discovered that most people who get out of any situation like that have someone who is a guide; someone who has taught them how to master a skill, someone who has taught them how to fail, and someone who simply just likes them. Those are things we all need to be for those who need it. People don’t understand that you also need to see a physical manifestation of what you want to be. If you don’t see that physical manifestation, you can imagine it, but a lot of our imaginations have not been stoked. They just haven’t. As an actress, I feel wonderful to be a physical manifestation for a lot of young girls of color just by me being my authentic self. And when I talk about finding my joy on days when I’m down, that is it.

So, here’s my big thing: put on your big-girl cap, put on your hero cap, and live a life bigger than yourself.”

Read Viola Davis’ incredible interview for PORTEREdit here. Watch How to Get Away with Murder on ABC