Ballerific Woman: Yara Shahidi, From “Blackish” to “Grownish”

– blogged by @lanaladonna

In a perfect world, men and women would receive equal pay. African American women would be presented the same opportunities as their white counterparts. Rejection would be based on qualifications rather than race.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Unfortunately, this world is far from perfect, however, there are people, more specifically women, who have dedicated their time, money and education to make a positive change. They’ve used their experiences and their encounters with injustices to fight and/or create more opportunities for their children and their children’s children, in an effort to make the world a better place. They’ve put our pain and problems on their backs and created space for change, new opportunities for our brothers and sisters to excel and succeed in a world that is designed against us. This is #BlackExcellence. These are Ballerific Women.

One of those special individuals is Yara Shahidi, who is a young actress and model.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
She’s best known for her role as Zoey Johnson of “Black-ish,” and it’s spin off show, “Grown-ish,” that premiered last week.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

However, 17-year old isn’t a new face to the screen.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
In 2009, Shahidi starred in Paramount Picture’s “Imagine That,” alongside actor and comedian Eddie Murphy. For this film, she received a Young Artist Award nomination for the best performance in a feature film category.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
In 2012, she starred in the TV series, “The First Family,” where she played the daughter of President William Johnson.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Shahidi also received NAACP’s Image Award for “Best Supporting Actress in Comedy Series,” back in 2014.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
While she’s extremely talented, Shahidi still felt it was important to continue her education. In June of 2017, Shahidi announced her attendance at the Harvard University.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Her accolades though are not what make her a ballerific woman. Shahidi, who is both Black and Iranian, uses her platform to discuss political issues, racism and the affects it has on our global community.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
As a woman of color and member of minority groups who aren’t experiencing the best treatment in America right now, Shahidi speaks out against the administration, and brings awareness the issues that oppress both her cultures.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
It’s safe to say Shahidi is making us fall in love with her on and off the screen.