In the past few years, Zendaya has been working her way up to becoming a household name. She started out as a Disney actress on Shake it Up, and then was the lead in the show, KC Undercover. As well as starring in Disney shows, she is a pioneer for racial diversity in the media. She was the first woman of color to be casted as MJ in Marvel’s Spiderman, and the lead in the popular show, Euphoria. She further showed her range in acting through this show when she played her character so well she was almost unrecognizable. Being casted in Euphoria was important for Zendaya as it helped set her apart as more than just a “Disney star”. From The Greatest Showman, to Spiderman, to her character Rue in Euphoria, Zendaya has proved herself.
Not only has Zendaya proved herself in the acting world, but she is also a huge advocate for many social issues. In the past, she stood up to Disney and how they needed to promote more diversity. When she got the starring role in K.C. Undercover, she told Disney: “There needs to be a black family on the Disney Channel. A lot of people who aren’t people of colour can’t quite understand what it’s like to grow up and not see yourself in mainstream media”. Disney has had a problematic history, even with Zendaya. On Shake it Up, Zendaya got the part she didn’t try out for. Instead, Disney gave her the part of Rocky, who came from a low-income family with a single mom. The other leading role in Shake it Up, played by Bella Thorne, came from a higher-income family. Considering many Disney shows featured racial stereotypes and not much diversity at the time, KC Undercover was groundbreaking. In addition to the show’s family displaying racial diversity, Zendaya also desired to promote feminism. She insisted that her character needed to NOT be artistically declined (like most other Disney channel female characters) but needed to “be able to run with the guys”. Zendaya was able to influence the multi-billion dollar company, Disney, and that is something to applaud her for.
Another reason to absolutely love Zendaya is the way she handles blatant hate and racism. Not only does she handle it well, but she stands up for herself and her community. Zendaya wore dreadlocks to the Oscars back in 2015. When reviewing her look, news anchor, Giuliana Rancic, said her hair looked like it smelled of “patchouli oil and weed”, obviously feeding into false stereotypes. While this is just another example of racism in society, Zendaya didn’t just let it go. She stood up for herself in a statement on Instagram saying, “There is a fine line between what is funny and disrespectful…To say that an 18-year-old young woman with locs must smell of patchouli oil or ‘weed’ is not only a large stereotype but outrageously offensive.” Zendaya recognized the issue, pointed it out, and corrected Rancic. The news anchor later made a public apology regarding the issue. Considering Zendaya was 18 at the time, it was empowering that she stood up to media outlets and news anchors.
Zendaya is going to be an icon for a while. Most importantly, she is going to be someone everyone looks up to. She has come before and shown young black women that they can be whoever they want to be. Despite what a multi-billion dollar company, reporters, and media has told Zendaya, she has overcome it all.