Zendaya Speaks out About Diversity on Disney

We all know and love Zendaya. She’s a talented actress, singer and dancer. The young star has taken on two leading roles on Disney Channel, has appeared in multiple movies and even had the chance to groove out with Bruno Mars in his latest music video. Not only do we admire Zendaya for her astounding talent but we also appreciate her activism. She’s not afraid to speak out about racial injustice, gender inequality or political issues. She uses her position in the Hollywood industry to speak out about these matters.

Zendaya recently sat down with Yara Shahidi, star of the show Black-ish, for an interview with Glamour magazine.

“I can genuinely say that I’m not the same person I was a year ago. As my social platforms grew, I realized that my voice was so much more important than I had originally thought. I think if every young person understood the power of their voice, things would be a lot different. And it’s becoming more popular to be outspoken.”

Zendaya also talked about her show K.C. Undercover, which she starred in and produced. She sat down with Disney Channel and told them that there absolutely needs to be a properly represented Black family on Disney Channel.

“I didn’t feel like there was any other choice. I was like, ‘If I’m going to do this, this is how it has to be.’ There needs to be a black family on the Disney Channel. A lot of people who aren’t people of color can’t quite understand what it’s like to grow up and not see yourself in mainstream media. And you know, there is so much work left to be done. I’ve talked about this before but can I honestly say I would be in the position I’m in if I weren’t a lighter-skinned black woman? No.”

Hopefully, the Disney Channel will take this into consideration when making new television shows. Many people, including myself, have had a hard time relating to characters and families on childhood networks. As a Hispanic, the closest family that I related to on Disney Channel was the family in Wizards of Waverly Place. Even then, they didn’t remind me too much of my family because they were fair-skinned.

This isn’t the first time Zendaya has moved us with her inspiring words. Like I mentioned before, she’s not afraid to speak her mind. If you scroll through Zendaya’s Instagram, not only will you see her pictures but you’ll also see her support for Colin Kaepernick, her stance on political figures and more. When she won the award for Best Actress at the 2017 Teen Choice Awards, she informed the young audience to speak out when they see something wrong.

I praise Zendaya for being the person that she is. We live in a time where diversity and inclusiveness is more important than ever. Making sure that Hollywood, and even Disney Channel, step up their game is extremely critical. Keep up the great work, Zendaya!

• activism
• disney
• diversity
• FSU
• television
• Zendaya