“When things happen publicly, it just makes it a more universal problem that more people can relate to.”

Kerry Washington:

“Whether it’s about the Congo or about celebrities, domestic violence is a social illness that does not discriminate.” “We have to start talking more openly about this.”

Rapper Eve referred to Rihanna’s alleged assault and the shooting deaths of three members of Jennifer Hudson’s family last year, telling the audience:

“All these women are our sisters.”"I don’t believe it’s a cultural thing.” “In every community in the world, one out of three women are beaten or raped. I’ve seen justification for it in every community in the world. The climate will exist until we shift the mindset of violence against women being unacceptable and not normal. We are still living in a world where the victim — the woman — is blamed. It’s not a cultural thing. Violence against women keeps patriarchy and its oppression and domination in its place. It keeps a structure where men and women can’t live in their full selves. It’s in every social strata and in every section of society.”

“When I met Obama I realized that he’s the same person face to face that he is when speaking to an audience of thousands,” “So I was like, ‘count me in!’”

“I’m an official surrogate for the Barack Obama campaign. I’m really committed to the campaign.
I really believe that he is the next best human being to run this country, regardless of race, regardless of gender, I think he really is the change that we need because he’s not going to be the President of the United.. you know, Corporate States, or the United Most Powerful Lobbyists, or the United Top Ten Percent. He wants to be the President of the United States of America and it’s time that we had a representational government, that represents us.”

“If you don’t use your voice, you didn’t make a difference!”

Washington said about the project:

“Common called me and asked me if I wanted to be ‘the girl’ in the next video because we’ve really always had a mutual respect for each other’s work and I said that I would do it if I can direct it,”
“And he was like, ‘Alright well write a treatment.”
“One of the really cool things about the video is that it’s totally star studded,”
“It’s myself, Common, Alicia Keys [and] Kanye West.
It’s really fun. I’m loving it even more than I thought I was going to.”