Amandla Stenberg Checked Her Privilege In The Best Way
Amandla Stenberg recently discussed dropping out of the auditions for Black Panther so that the opportunity could be afforded to a darker-skinned candidate more befitting to the role.
Her admission makes a powerful statement about representation in the film industry.
It's no secret that Hollywood has a habit of white-washing characters and casting lighter-skinned actors for roles over their darker-skinned counterparts. The actress' bold move is particularly significant because Black Panther introduces a fictional African kingdom called Wakanda that represents "black excellence that was never interrupted by colonialism." Stenberg's decision not to take the role was based on her biracial identity and the inaccuracy she felt it would represent in the film's overall theme.
In an interview at the TIFF Next Wave Festival in Toronto, Stenberg said:
"One of the most challenging things for me to do was to walk away from 'Black Panther.' I got really, really close and they were like, 'do you want to continue fighting for this?' And I was like, 'This isn't right.'"
"These are all dark skin actors playing Africans and I feel like it would have just been off to see me as a biracial American with a Nigerian accent just pretending that I'm the same color as everyone else in the movie."
The 19-year-old actress won her way into our hearts in the Hunger Games trilogy and Everything, Everything, and continues to stay relevant in social activism by bringing national attention to issues like colorism and cultural appropriation. She added:
"That was really challenging, to make that decision, but I have no regrets. I recognize 100 percent that there are spaces that I should not take up and when I do take up space it's because I've thought really, really critically about it and I've consulted people I trust and it feels right."
Americans love black culture, but do we really love black people?
When I was in elementary school, my sister got cancer and my parents and I moved from Texas back to Baton Rouge to help her through chemotherapy; culture shock is an understatement. I went from a school where I was the only black kid in my class to one that was predominantly black.
I remember I came home from school my first day, upset because my classmates told me that I was mixed, light-skinned, and talked like a white girl. Today, it sounds silly I know, but then I was completely devastated; honestly, because I didn't know what being "mixed" meant and I couldn't understand why being "light-skinned" or talking like a white person were bad things. My family has every shade of brown that there is, so I wasn't familiar with the terms "light skinned" or "dark skinned," we were all just black.
It wasn't until I got older that I began to recognize my privilege as a light-skinned African-American woman. I noticed that my friends and classmates who were more brown-skinned were treated differently by boys and even our teachers. Though the plight of any woman is worth reverence, I began to realize that I was afforded more opportunities than my friends with brown skin.
The recent height of racial tension in our society should also urge us to confront the transgressions that we commit against one another in the black community.
Stenberg reminds us that empowerment means seeking equal opportunity for all women. Not just ourselves.
She declined the opportunity to be a part of one of this year's top-grossing and culturally impactful films to make a bigger statement about the way colorism is perpetuated in film.
"I'm just someone who cannot fake it. I can only do something with my full heart invested or just not do it at all. I still am really young and it's not a race. I didn't feel like I had to be working all the time just to prove that I could work. I still have a lot of time. You don't have to force your career to happen all at once."
Amandla Stenberg makes us all question what we can do as individuals to create a better life for society as a whole. She reminds us to check our privilege and pay it forward because personal advancement cannot be truly valuable until there is a level playing field.
Featured image via Giphy
Taylor "Pretty" Honore is a spiritually centered and equally provocative rapper from Baton Rouge, Louisiana with a love for people and storytelling. You can probably find me planting herbs in your local community garden, blasting "Back That Thang Up" from my mini speaker. Let's get to know each other: @prettyhonore.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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How A Stay At Switzerland's Luxurious 7132 Hotel Reminded Me To Live The Life I Deserve
Sometimes, as women—especially as single Black women—we simply need to be reminded that we are deserving of living a life we dream of. Even if that means creating it for ourselves. I recently set out on a weeklong trip to Switzerland, a trip I’ve been wanting to take for years, and near the end of my visit, I had an epiphany.
“DeAnna, this is the life you deserve,” I thought to myself as I took in the gorgeous bathroom in my suite at the famous 7132 Hotel and Thermal Spa. It was one of the most luxurious hotels (and bathrooms) I had ever stayed in—and that’s saying a lot for someone who often travels for work.
To help you better understand why this was such a mental awakening for me, I first need to give a bit of my backstory. I’m in my late thirties. I’m an attorneyand a journalist. I own a home and have traveled the world extensively. Essentially, I’ve done everything in life I set out to do. However, when it comes to dating, I struggle. Not because there is anything wrong with me per se, but because my career and “lifestyle” often create problems in my romantic relationships.
View from my hotel room
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I’ve been told everything from, ‘I can’t continue to date you because you seem to choose your career over wanting to settle down and have kids’ by a man after only the second date to ‘Maybe if you just sat down somewhere for a while, I’d actually wife you’ by someone who has honestly never proven themselves to be the settle down type. And these are only a handful of the things I’ve been told over the years.
It’s been frustrating, to say the least, and there have even been seasons where I purposely dimmed my light in hopes that my career wouldn’t push away potential suitors. I know what you’re thinking, “Girl, why would you even consider that? If they’re for you, it won’t matter what you do.” Hey, don’t judge me, but also, I one hundred percent agree.
My hotel bathroom
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That’s why this recent moment in Switzerland was right on time. When I first walked into the hotel to check in, I was blown away by the surrounding beauty. It was a five-star property with one of the world’s most famous thermal bathhouses. Yet, it was something about seeing that 90% of the hotel’s guests were couples, that forced me to sit back for a bit of introspection—while soaking in the thermal spa, of course.
As I went through the mental conversation, there was a battle of sorts. On one hand, I knew that being able to partake in experiences like the one I was having at that moment was important to me. I knew that, at times I actually love being able to dabble in the finer things—after all, I’ve worked hard to be able to afford them. On the other hand, and sadly, I knew that sometimes being a single Black woman that publicly showcases her “luxurious” habits can intimidate men and even scare them off from pursuing you under the guise of them feeling like they “can’t do anything for you, because you have everything.”
My hotel room
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So, what is a girl to do?
Do I minimize/hide the life and experiences that I have? Do I play down the hard work I’ve put in to get where I am professionally? Or, do I risk being single in exchange for being able to have said life, without backlash?
Luckily, the joy that I felt while being at this property won. There was something about taking a full day to simply pamper myself at the bathhouse and in my in-room steam shower and soaker tub, indulging in cuisine from a 2-star Michelin restaurant and doing all of this while surrounded by an amazing group of Black women that reminded me—this is certainly the life I was meant to live and that I deserve. Even if it means that right now, I’ll just have to provide it for myself until the right partner comes along. And honestly, I’m okay with that.
Restaurant at 7132 hotel
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