9 Female Millennial Activists In Hollywood Making History Right Now
Activism is made up of many efforts that intervene in social, political, economic, or environmental structures to make the changes that people want made in society. Forms of activism can be petitioning, running political campaigns, boycotting, rallies, street marches, or sit-ins.
Some of the most impactful activist efforts come in the form of collective action, in which numerous individuals coordinate an act of protest together for bigger impact. When collective action is purposeful, organized, and sustained over a period of time it becomes known as a social movement. One of the greatest social movements today is the Women’s March. This worldwide protest began on January 21, 2017, which was the day after the inauguration of President Donald Trump. The main goal of the march was to advocate policies regarding human rights, women’s rights, immigration reform, healthcare reform, reproductive rights, the environment, and many more. The 2017 Women’s March was one of the largest single-day protests in U.S. history, and since then, only more and more celebs have supported the movement, along with other social causes regarding LGBTQ rights, racial equality, and freedom of religion.
Yara Shahidi
Yara Shahidi formed Yara’s Club in partnership with The Young Women’s Leadership School. The aim is to bring high school students together to discuss social issues. She’s also worked with Michelle Obama on her ‘Let Girls Learn’ education initiative.
Willow Smith
Willow Smith engaged in environmental activism by performing at the Climate Strike in New York City in Sept. 2019. She also regularly discusses social justice issues on her family’s Facebook Watch show, Red Table Talk.
Emma Watson
Emma Watson was not only incredibly involved in the Time’s Up movement, but she’s also a United Nations Goodwill ambassador. She also hosts a feminist book club!
Hunter Schafer
Euphoria star Hunter Schafer has brought visibility to the transgender community on her social media platforms and in interviews. She was also named a plaintiff in the ACLU’s lawsuit against North Carolina’s “bathroom bill” in 2016.
Halsey
Halsey is a huge supporter of Planned Parenthood and donated $100,000 to the organization. At the Women’s March, she recited a compelling poem that addressed sexual assault and her own miscarriage. She also makes a conscious effort to represent bisexuality in her music and videos.
Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga is a vocal advocate for LGBTQ rights, the anti-fracking movement, and education about HIV and AIDS. Her Born This Way Foundation focuses on empowering youth and promoting anti-bullying measures. She also participated in Joe Biden’s It’s On Us campaign to fight against sexual assault on college campuses in the U.S.
Shailene Woodley
Shailene Woodley is on the board of Bernie Sanders’ Our Revolution organization, which aims to help educate voters and work on progressive issues. She also protested in North Dakota against the oil pipeline at Standing Rock, and was even arrested for her efforts.
America Ferrera
America Ferrera founded the organization Harness, which works to shift dominant narratives surrounding social issues. She’s also been a key figure in Time’s Up and spoke at the Women’s March in 2018.
Millie Bobby Brown
Millie Bobby Brown is a Unicef Ambassador and major supporter of the Time’s Up movement. She also started a Twitter dedicated to ending bullying.
Rowan Blanchard
Rowan Blanchard is well-known for having intersectional feminist conversations on social media. She’s been vocal about everything from the need for more female directors to the DACA repeal. She also spoke at the 2017 Women’s March.
Kristen Bell
Kristen Bell is a massive animal rights activist, and supports numerous charities including ASPCA, DoSomething.org, Red Cross, The Humane Society, and UNICEF.
Porsha Williams
The Real Housewives of Atlanta star Porsha Williams joined marches amid the Black Lives Matter movement to protest police brutality in the wake of the deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. She’s pictured here speaking at an event to elect Democratic Georgia US Senate candidates Jon Ossoff and Reverend Rafael Warnock, who both ended up winning the election in Jan. 2021. Porsha’s grandfather is also famed civil rights activist Hosea Williams.
Amanda Gorman
Amanda Gorman became the U.S.’s first ever National Youth Poet Laureate at only 16 years old. She is famous for her poem, “The Hill We Climb,” which she recited at Joe Biden’s inauguration in Jan. 2021. Amanda uses her gift in writing to advocate for racial justice and feminism. She also founded a youth writing and leadership program, called One Pen One Page, in 2016.
Greta Thunberg
Greta Thunberg is a Swedish teenager famous for her environmental activism and outspokeness about climate change. She’s also the star of the 2020 documentary, I Am Greta.
