Amandla Stenberg and Rowan Blanchard have both been named as ‘feminist celebrity of the year’ by the Ms. Foundation for Women. According to votes compiled from an online survey, the two actresses shared the top title because they “spoke out” for equality, and “are using their voice to guide the larger conversation around equal rights” – which, given they’re both still under the age of 18, is pretty impressive.
It’s also not the biggest surprise, considering their list of achievements this year. Hunger Games star Stenberg has already ignited some serious debate over intersectionality, diversity and equality – and was named by us as “the most incendiary voice of her generation” back in Autumn. She’s also released her very own crash course in cultural appropriation (see below), called out Kylie Jenner, led an art movement and created her very own comic book about a mixed-race female superhero. NBD.
Girl Meets Boy actress Blanchard has become an equally strong voice for young women. After posting an amazingly articulate essay on intersectional feminism earlier this year, the 14-year-old has proven herself as a one-to-watch: with the UN Women conference even inviting her to speak about her experiences with sexism. “To acknowledge feminism from a one-sided view when the literal DEFINITION is the equality of the sexes is not feminism at all,” she wrote. “We need to be talking about this more. Discussion leads to change.”
The list also included Laverne Cox, Shonda Rimes, Amy Schumer, Jennifer Lawrence, Margaret Cho and Ellen DeGeneres. According to the Ms. Foundation for Women President and CEO Teresa C. Younger, it was created to acknowledge “celebrities who not only publicly identify as feminists, but work to change conversation around diversity, inclusiveness and intersectionality.”
