Rosie Perez is talking about her awkward sex scene with John Leguizamo for the movie “The Take”. And everyone is talking about Rosie joining “Exit 19″ a CBS pilot with Geena Davis. But the most exciting Rosie related news is what she talked about when she spoke at Kutztown University, in Pennsylvania. Rosie told a crowd of over 400 people to “Listen to your hearts and do something about the injustices in the world.” Rosie also explained how her own activist spirit launched her career.

My life would not have changed if I didn’t have that activist spirit… If I didn’t have something inside me that I didn’t understand at that time, at 19 years old, that said, “ËœThis is wrong. I’m going to stand up and make this stop by any means necessary.’

What was it that the Brooklyn-native 19 year-old-boricua biochemistry major saw that made her so upset? It involved Spike Lee! Reading Eagle reports that when she was in college

at a nightclub she had gone to with friends, Perez said a man she thought looked like a cricket was leading a contest for women with big behinds. The man was Lee, who had just made the movie “She’s Got to Have It.” It was too much for Perez to stand. She jumped on the stage and told the women they shouldn’t let Lee degrade them. Other women in the club said the contest was wrong, but Perez did something about it. Later, Lee introduced himself and said their meeting was fate. He wanted her in his movie, “Do the Right Thing.” Embarrassed about the commotion, Perez initially turned him down on the spot. She later changed her mind and the movie launched her career in entertainment.

And Rosie has had quite a career! She was a choreographer for the Fly Girls of the hit comedy show “In Living Color”, was on my favorite show “Jump Street” with Jonny Depp,  starred in Jim Jarmusch’s Night on Earth, White Men Can’t Jump with Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes, Untamed Heart with Marisa Tomei and Christian Slater, Peter Weir’s Fearless, with Jeff Bridges and Isabella Rossellini, Nancy Savoca’sThe 24 Hour Woman,  Perdita Durango with Javier Bardem. Fearless earned Rosie an Oscar nomination! And Rosie directed and producedYo soy Boricua, pa’que tu lo sepas! (I’m Boricua, Just So You Know!) a documentary with a very personal touch about the history and culture of Puerto Rico.

Inspired to take action? How could you not be? Not only can you “do the right thing” by becoming an activist, but you can launch your own career! by checking out Working Playground, the non-for profit organization that believes “art belongs to everyone.” Rosie is on their artistic board. And Check out long-time AIDS activist Rosie in this PSA for Cable Positive which uses” cable and telecommunications industry to raise HIV/AIDS awareness; support HIV/AIDS education, prevention and care; and strive to end stigma by creating a more compassionate climate for people whose lives have been affected by HIV or AIDS.” And by learning about this great organization!

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