We are all familiar with actress and activist Amandla Stenberg. The 17 year old actress is best known for her work in The Hunger Games and the feature film Columbiana. She is the ultimate carefree black girl and we absolutely love her for it! She is educated, talented, and very well spoken. During the past few years we have been able to hear her commentary about black people, black culture, and black women. While progressing in her career she has also brought forth views about issues facing African Americans in America.
For a young person Amandla is so woke and aware of the social injustices faced by Black people in America. As an actress she is well aware of the lack of representation in the media.
She is supportive of other women of color in a culture where women are pitted against one another and in an industry where black faces are rarely rewarded.
Amandla’s views on cultural appropriation put her in the forefront. Her strong words and point of view really put the use of black culture for aesthetic purposes under a scope.
After snatching Kylie Jenner’s edges straight off her head, Amandla called for the end of the angry black girl narrative. The media reduced Stenberg’s comment down to a simple teenage squabble instead of reading and understanding the meaning behind her words.
White people and Non-black people of color receive praise for having black features such as big lips and big butts while black women receive criticism for having those features naturally. These same groups of people do not understand how near and dear black hair is in the black community. Black people lose job opportunities, jobs and black children have gotten suspended from school for wearing their hair certain ways, so when white people and non-black people of color do it for asethetic purposes it is infuriating.
Black women have always been critisized and seen as less than in society, and Stenberg wrote this about black women, the most unprotected group in America.
Amandla you are pure magic and I cannot wait to see the influence you have on this generation in the future. Your voice is one that will lead, keep up the great work.
HCXO!