Gen Z Highlight: Amandla Stenberg
Although actress Amandla Stenberg shot to fame as Rue in ‘The Hunger Games,’ she is also notable for her activism, which she has successfully integrated into her career. Her forward-thinking views have made her an inspiration for Gen Z. Stenberg aims to shed light on important social issues, like intersectionality and racism, and use her privilege as a bi-racial actress to address social injustice.
Stenberg started her career as an actress in the 2011 film ‘Columbiana.’ She received her breakthrough one year later, as Rue in ‘The Hunger Games,’ in which she had a tragic life story that earned her a Teen Choice Award. Stenberg continued to receive critical acclaim for her roles in ‘Everything, Everything’ and ‘The Hate U Give.’ For the latter, Stenberg received a NAACP Image Award and a Critics’ Choice Award nomination. She also had starring roles in ‘The Darkest Minds,’ ‘Where Hands Touch,’ ‘Mr. Robinson’ and the Netflix mini-series ‘The Eddy.’ Stenberg is also a singer – she made her musical debut as part of the folk-rock duo Honeywater in 2015 and her single ‘Let My Baby Stay’ was featured in ‘Everything, Everything.’ She is passionate about music and experiments with many different instruments. Stenberg has appeared in Beyoncé’s music video for ‘Lemonade,’ leading her to win the BET YoungStars Award.
Stenberg uses her platform and career for activism purposes, and to advocate for social issues. This is evident in ‘The Hate U Give’ and ‘Where Hands Touch,’ both released in 2018, which center around racial issues. ‘The Hate U Give’ follows the aftermath of a shooting that takes place at a house party and examines the differences in how a poor, black neighborhood and a richer, white one respond. Exploring this disparity is vital as it reflects real life and the current situation in the US, in which wealth disparity and racism have been perpetuated by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In ‘Where Hands Touch,’ Stenberg stars as a young bi-racial girl who lives in totalitarian Nazi Germany and explores the life and hardships she endures. The issues explored in both these movies are linked to racism, which are still relevant today. As films were being distributed to the masses, Stenberg was playing a vital role in expertly portraying characters that have the potential to bring stories to life and being a voice in the conversation. Stenberg even walked away from the film ‘Black Panther’ as she believed that the role should be given to a darker-skinned actor.
Beyond the silver screen, Stenberg is also active in the advocacy of social issues through other platforms. In 2015, when she was only 16 years old, Stenberg released a YouTube video called “Don’t Cash Crop On My Cornrows.” The video later went viral and circulated on social media and media platforms. It is about the appropriation of Black culture by the mass media and white celebrities. It was originally a project, which she had completed for her history class and later on uploaded. In the video, Stenberg talks about how the integration of Black fashion and culture into mainstream music ultimately led to the appropriation of Black culture. She points out that white celebrities like Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, and Miley Cyrus are all guilty of cultural appropriation, and acknowledges institutionalized racism and police brutality that still runs rampant in society. Stenberg ends the video with a very thought-provoking question: “What would America be like if we loved Black people as much as we love Black culture?”
Stenberg is very vocal about her gender identity and sexual orientation, serving as an inspiration and role model for Gen Z. She believes that gender and sexuality are fluid and is not afraid to express her opinions. As evidenced in her interviews, Stenberg talks about the journey of finding herself and discovering her identity. She is critical about gender as a social construct and has admitted that she is both bisexual and pansexual. In June 2018, she came out as gay. Stenberg identifies as non-binary and uses she/her and they/them pronouns. Stenberg is an intersectional feminist and is also outspoken about her political views. Because of her efforts, Stenberg was named the Feminist Celebrity of 2015 by the Ms. Foundation, and the Most Influential Teen by Time Magazine in the same year. As an accomplished actress and activist, Stenberg will undoubtedly continue to inspire Gen Z.
Sources:
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/amandla-stenberg-cultural_n_7064420
https://mancunion.com/2019/10/16/black-history-month-feminist-and-activist-amandla-stenberg/
https://indie-mag.com/2018/04/amandla-stenberg-interview/
https://time.com/collection-post/5414051/amandla-stenberg-next-generation-leaders/
