Lessons

Opinion: ‘Black-ish’ Star Yara Shahidi Is The Voice Of Generation Z

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“Black-ish” star Yara Shahidi is not just an activist or a college student, she is the voice of her generation.

Shahidi has been encouraging young people to engage in civic action. She said that people expect the younger generation to stay quiet about certain topics and wait until they are of age to form opinions. However, the issue is that younger people have not been given the opportunity or the platform to form those opinions.

The 19-year-old accepted her Glamour 2019 Women of the Year award and thanked Glamour for supporting her and having the event. Shadidi said in her speech that many Gen Z members feel that their identities contrast with what the world usually presents to them.

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“The one thing I’ve been thinking about is what it means to be born in this generation,” Shahidi said. “This idea that if you are a woman, or if you are any other identity, what it means to be [a member] of the LGBTQ+ community, what it means to be an immigrant, what it means to be a person of color, you’re born telling yourself, being told, that your identity is in contrast to whatever is presented to you.”

Shadidi said she feels she must advocate for something greater than herself. She wants people to know that her generation is not lazy or social media obsessed.

“I am so grateful to be part of a lineage both figuratively and literally of women who have said no. I’m so grateful to be a part of a generation of women who’ve said no. I’m so grateful to be in a space in which we are actively saying no,” said Shahidi.

Shahidi is a megaphone for today’s generation and is empowering young women to take a stand and believe in themselves. Shahidi is showing the world that it is cool to engage in political issues and that it is okay to be engaged in the world.

Wendy Phan's history in athletics inspires her to pursue a career in sports journalism. She is a graduate of Georgia State University with a Bachelor’s degree in journalism. She has valuable skills such as being a board operator and learning how to edit in Adobe Premiere.

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