Ah, Hollywood! It’s a mythic part of the American landscape, a fantasyland where dreamers go for their make-or-break moment. But despite the romantic mythology that we as a society have built up around the bright lights and back lots of Hollywood, the reality is a far cry from our rose-tinted imaginings.
Sure, it’s the industry that gave us bravura performances like this dance-off between Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, but it’s also responsible for failing, time and again, to truly represent the American populace. For years, the entertainment industry has been responsible for lackluster and inadequate representation of minorities.
No one has been harder hit by this lack of parity than women of color, who have consistently been subject to silencing and oppression within Hollywood—as well as outside of it. Fortunately, the past two decades have seen women of color make increasingly strong inroads into mainstream media.
While past generations had a mere handful of strong role models, the current generation has a wide range of outspoken young stars unafraid to speak their minds, as we saw with this eloquent reproach from Disney star Zendaya Coleman on the topic of tone-deaf media commentary. Best of all, Coleman is far from alone in representing a new version of young Hollywood, one that’s far more reflective of what America really looks like.
The entertainment biz still has a long way to go, but with the help of this next generation of movers and shakers, it’s definitely growing in the right direction. Scroll through the gallery below to see our favorite representatives of the incoming wave of superstars.
Photo Credit: Instagram/Zendaya
1. Zendaya
The 19-year-old star of Disney's Frenemies and K.C. Undercover is one of the most powerful young women in the industry today. Zendaya, who has a black father and a white mother, became known as an outspoken advocate for women of color after her locs – a hairstyle historically associated with natural, black hair — were mocked by a member of the media. She was praised for her handling of that difficult moment, and now Mattel has even honored her with a Zendaya Barbie sporting the hairstyle. Of the honor, she said, "I'm really excited because it shows a lot of young people that when you raise a voice…and use your power and your strength in the most positive ways, good things come of it."
2. Cierra Ramirez
The 20-year old star of The Fosters is a Texas native with Mexican heritage. On portraying a Latina character on the ABC Family series, she told Latina Magazine, "I’ve learned, especially in this industry, you have to learn how to represent. Taking on roles, I’ve tried to stay away from the stereotypical stuff. With our culture, I think it’s really good to represent. Everyone does a really good job of that. That’s one thing I admire about our culture."
3. Amandla Stenberg
The Hunger Games star, who will turn 17 later this week and has African-American, Danish, and Inuit heritage, is known for taking a stand against cultural appropriation in Hollywood, particularly a video that started out as a project for school, called "Don't Cash Crop On My Cornrows." Her well-informed stance on the history of black cultural appropriation ends with this pressing question, "So I’ve been seeing this question a lot on social media and I think it’s really relevant, what would America be like if we loved black people as much as we love black culture?"
4. Rowan Blanchard
The newly-minted star of Disney's Girl Meets World is responsible for more than just continuing a pop culture legacy. The 14-year-old actress, who is of European and Middle Eastern descent, may be young, but she's already a budding activist, taking to Instagram to critique "white feminism." Her well-informed essay — which you can see in full here — touches on many points, but the crux is this, ""White feminism” forgets all about intersectional feminism. The way a black woman experiences sexism and inequality is different from the way a white woman experiences sexism and inequality." She even references fellow wunderkind Amandla at one point!
5. Kiersey Clemons
Though she's only 21 years old, actress Kiersey Clemons is already proving that she's wise beyond her years, picking important projects that deal with thorny issues of race, sexuality, and gender. Her breakout turns as Diggy in Dope and Bianca in Transparent have won her rave reviews. Clemons emphasizes that she’s very careful when it comes to selecting parts that feel right for her, telling i-D Magazine, "There are definitely roles I chose not to do. It's been a great way for me to show what I stand for and that I support the LGBTQ community," and adding, "I'd rather be working at the mall again than go make a racist or sexist movie for money."
6. Megan Lee
20-year-old Megan Lee got her start performing as a singer on YouTube, before landing the leading role on Nickelodeon's Make It Pop. The show, inspired by the popularity of Korean 'K-Pop' music has entered the American mainstream. The Los Angeles native, who is of Korean descent, is proud of the show's impact, telling Billboard, "I'm so glad to see more diversity on television, not only for Asians, but for all ethnicity in general. I hope everybody takes the steps to see more diversity in the future."
7. Willow Smith
Willow Smith, who will turn 15 this Halloween, has been a maverick ever since she burst onto the scene with her single "Whip My Hair" in 2010. The daughter of two of the most powerful African-American icons in Hollywood, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, she's always been encouraged to be true to herself. She's already a force to be reckoned with in the music industry, and in a discussion of her first single with T Magazine, said, "I mean, 'Whip My Hair' was a great thing. When I look back I think, 'Wow, I did so much for young black girls and girls around the world. Telling them that they can be themselves and to not be afraid to be themselves.' "
If these powerful young women inspire you, please SHARE on Facebook for everyone who’s looking forward to seeing these ground-breaking young ladies revolutionize entertainment!
