See why the 18-year-old actress, artist & feminist is all of our goals
For as long as we can remember, it feels like the media has only focused on what female celebrities are wearing, who they’re dating, or how they’re dieting. But over the past two years, inspiring young artists like Zendaya and Rowan Blanchard have used the power of social media to shift the narrative, have their voices heard, and create a dialogue about subjects that actually matter.
Amandla Stenberg is one of these exceptional young artists – below, see 7 (of the 7,000) reasons why:
1. She uses her Instagram page to showcase beautiful artwork, photos of powerful women like civil rights activist Kathleen Cleaver, and prolific poetry:
2. She’s an exceptional filmmaker. In April of 2015, Amandla and her classmate, Quinn Masterson, completed a compelling video project entitled, “Don’t Cash Crop My Cornrows: A Crash Discourse in Black Culture.”
In the informative, must-watch vid, Amandla talks race, gender, and examines cultural appropriation, schooling viewers on why it’s not okay:
3. She’s also an amazing writer. Amandla co-wrote the critically-acclaimed fantasy comic, “Niobe: She Is Life.”
4. Her artwork is stunning – it’s even being printed on clothing!
5. She’s an incredible actress with four feature films on the way. First up is “As You Are,” which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and is slated to hit Amazon in 2017:
6. She uses her platform to give back. Amandla is a youth ambassador for No Kid Hungry, an organization that fights child hunger:
7. Amandla vows to always use her voice. “It can be really discouraging to see how far we still have to go and how much work still needs to be done before we can create a world where we’re all judged by how we are and not how we look,” she wrote.
“But I’m strengthened every day because I’m still here, I’m surviving, and I’m using my voice.”
And that voice is inspiring countless people across the globe – including us. Amandla, You’re So Beautiful Now!