Prior to this week, I had no idea who Amandla Stenberg was, but I like this girl.
It was only after a conversation with the Recorder’s ever-consciences marketing coordinator, Ebony Chappel, that I was enlightened. I wish Ebony had exposed the great Stenberg to me sooner.
At only 16 years of age, Stenberg is incredibly articulate and socially conscientious. While she’s best known for her acting roles in films such as “Colombiana” and “The Hunger Games,” that isn’t what drew me to the young Stenberg. It was her perspectives on various topics such as the degradation of women, hunger and police brutality that most impressed me.
Recently Stenberg voiced her concerns over a social media post made by 17-year-old socialite Kylie Jenner. In the photograph, Jenner dons cornrows and captioned the picture, “I woke up like disss.” Jenner is white and the cornrow hairstyle has historically been worn by African-Americans. Jenner has also had plastic surgery to enhance her lips. It has also been rumored that Jenner has had a butt augmentation to enlarge her rear end.
Stenberg responded to Jenner’s post by posting, “When you appropriate Black features and culture but fail to use ur position of power to help Black Americans by directing attention toward ur wigs instead of police brutality or racism #whitegirlsdoitbetter.”
Appropriation is defined as, “the action of taking something for one’s own use, typically without the owner’s permission.” Stenberg’s post generated much debate on the topic – some people who believed Jenner’s gesture was no big deal while others agreed with Stenberg’s viewpoint.
After receiving negative press and criticism from other celebrities, Stenberg posted this response, “End the ‘angry Black girl’ narrative. It’s just another attempt to undermine certain perspectives. I have strong opinions. I am not angry.”
While it is not uncommon for teenagers to feud with one another or take to social media to express their views, Stenberg’s post led me to dig deeper and research the young lady further. What I found was an incredibly well-versed, vocal and socially-aware youth who is inspired to make a difference in this world through her various mediums including acting, blogging and even her activism efforts. That’s right, Stenberg is an activist, who among other things, is an ambassador for No Kid Hunger; supports the Ubuntu Education Fund, a South African organization that nurtures children “from cradle to career;” and she advocated for the memorial in Washington, DC that honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Look at any of Stenberg’s social media accounts and you will find original postings about things most 16 year olds wouldn’t be thinking about. In one post from July 12, Stenberg writes, “…Deeply ingrained into culture is the notion that Black female bodies, at the intersect of oppression, are less than human and therefore unattractive. They are symbols of pain, trauma, and degradation. Often when they are sexualized, it is from a place of racial fetishism. Black feminine sexuality is a tender spot – tender with deep-rooted suppression and taboo – the effects of which are pervasive. …As culture shifts and racial tensions are tested through the vehicle of the #BlackLivesMatter movement, it is important to question: Do female Black lives matter too?”
All that from a 16-year-old.
I was definitely impressed.
Stenberg erases the doubt and notion that teens today are hapless and self-absorbed. Anyone who dares to generalize the integrity, intelligence and conscientiousness of youth should research Stenberg. She gives me hope for tomorrow. She allows me to have faith that some youth of today will become the effective leaders of tomorrow. Stenberg is already a leader and she is living up to the Zulu definition of her name: power. She evokes power now and I am excited to see how she evokes it in the future. More teens would be wise to emulate the actions of positive people like Stenberg rather than the derogatory and negative influence of some of today’s teen celebrities.
