From actress to activist, Yara Shahidi has packed quite a lot into her short life.
A precocious child
Shahidi seems wiser than her years.
This is a quality that has been present since her childhood, when she skipped first grade.
“She’s highly intellectually motivated,” Shahidi’s mom toldTown & Country.
“I’ve always wanted to be a historian.
For my tenth birthday party, I dressed up as a historian in a seersucker suit.”
Her father is a cinematographer, and her mother is also an actress.
This made for what Shahidi calls “a very atypical childhood.”
Her multicultural family raised Shahidi to appreciate diversity.
“Traditions may be different, but in terms of shared values, they’re transcontinental.
“People’s lives, their livelihoods are at stake.”
What do you do when you’re a young person faced with so much unrest?
For Shahidi, the answer is clear: change things.
“‘Why were the cops called on a young girl napping in her common room?
Why were they called on a woman at Waffle House?’
Growing up on “Black-ish”
When Black-ish first aired, Shahidiwas just 14 years old.
It’s set a precedence.
“I definitely want to be in like, a politics-adjacent kind of position,” she toldET.
Even she can’t believe the breaks she’s gotten.
The rest of my life has been, for the most part, a nice little happy accident.
I’m glad that it happened this way, but it’s nonetheless unintentional.”
She’s always prioritized her education, even while focusing on acting.
It can feel like such a judgment on your entire life.”
Her social media presence is a powerful tool for activism as it is for many of her generation.
“Social media matters,” Shahidi toldRefinery29.
“Twitter matters, Instagram matters.
Sometimes in fantastic ways, and sometimes in not-so-great ways.
But not everything she posts is serious, and this is a critical part of her brand.
She’s just as likely to posta James Baldwin quoteas she is to sharea video of her dancing.
“There’s power in just displaying joy,” she toldTown & Country.
Turning 18 was a big deal for her for this reason
Turning 18 is a big deal.
At that age, you’re finally a legal adult and free to make your own decisions.
She celebrated the milestone with a birthday party that doubled as a voter registration drive.
“It’s kinda scary,” she toldNet-a-Porterof becoming an adult.
But the one thing that I am looking forward to is feeling more empowered to contribute.
My friends have always said that if I got a fake ID, it would be to vote early.
Even Shahidi’s hobbies reveal her convictions.
Her favorite book,Giovanni’s Room, is by Baldwin and is considereda staple of LGBTQ+ literature.
“I recently re-read it while listening toBlondeby Frank Ocean.
I couldn’t stop crying.”
Frank Ocean isanother one of Shahidi’s favoritesand, like Baldwin, isan LGBTQ+ icon.
He’s also politically minded and, like Shahidi,encouraged people to voteduring the 2018 midterm election.
Very few have already established their careers, let alone have become as successful as Shahidi has.
Yet acting, and even activism, aren’t enough for her.
She’s determined to give back to the community.
Shahidi’s fame is a means to a more altruistic end.
“It’s amazing to have this platform to help make a difference,” she toldVanity Fair.
Shahidi is very aware that fashion often carries a deeper sociopolitical message and goes beyond just looking good.
“[Fashion] is so important,” she said.
Fashion is associated with an ideology.
As an African American woman with lighter skin, she recognizes that she experiences a certain amount of privilege.
“I am hyper aware of my surroundings at all times.
I’m never going to find myself in positions in which I genuinely regret what I’m doing.”
Hollywood isn’t very important to her
What’s next for Shahidi?
Whatever it holds, she’s determined to make her mark.
“I have this whole thing about legacy,” she toldNet-a-Porter.
When asked what her plans for her acting career are, Shahidi was ambivalent.
“I guess I start by saying, Hollywood is seemingly extremely trivial,” she said.
All of these things in the long run don’t have much of an impact.”
It seems likely that, going forward, her acting career may take a backseat to her activism.
