In addition to stars Viola Davis and Maggie Gyllenhaal, actress Rosie Pérez helps to round the cast of the new drama Won’t Back Down. In the film, Pérez plays Breena Harper and she’s a part of a community movement that takes on a failed school system to get better educational options for children.

Pérez spoke to BET.com about Won’t Back Down, the broken public school system and politics and diversity issues in Hollywood. The Oscar nominee was also stunned to discover the groundbreaking history she’s made in the entertainment industry.

Here’s more with Rosie in the video below.

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(Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)