5 starlets that prove Generation Z is badass

Candice Brew
Jan 8, 2016
4 min read

In a world where a good "selfie" reigns supreme, it's refreshing to see young influencers using their power to challenge the status quo and push a more conscious agenda.

Social media boomed Thursday in the wake of Teen Vogue's February cover story, not only because actress Amandla Stenberg dons her coiled tresses on the cover, but because the young star-turned-activist speaks on self-acceptance and a little #BlackGirlMagic.

Teen Vogue's empowerment issue, which hits stands January 12, spotlights other emerging role-models such as Disney's Rowan Blanchard who along with Stenberg, recently won the Ms. Foundation for Women Feminist Celebrity of the Year award.

Stenberg, 17 and Blanchard, 14 won this award over a group of women from all ages and backgrounds, but that comes as no surprise. Throughout the past year, the kids of generation Z have served as revolutionary role models by frequently breaking the Internet in the name of equality, justice and cultural awareness.

Amandla Stenberg, @amandlastenberg

Actress, 17

Stenberg won the esteemed Feminist Celebrity of the Year award, but what led her to that point?

The Hunger Games star went viral after schooling the Internet via "Don't Cash Crop my Cornrows," a class assignment she nailed about cultural appropriation.

"I really didn’t think it was going to be so controversial," Stenberg told Teen Vogue. "And then to have the label of 'revolutionary' pinned on you afterward felt really daunting. I kind of had a moment with myself, like, 'OK. Is this what you want to do? Do you actually want to talk about issues? Is it worth it?'...But it’s worth it because when people come to me and say, 'I’m more comfortable in my identity because of you,' or 'I feel like you’ve given me a voice,' that’s the most powerful thing ever.”

Stenberg eventually fueled the much-needed fire by calling out fellow Gen Z'er Kylie Jenner for appropriation.

Meanwhile, issue two of her comic book, Niobe: She is Life—a fantasy featuring a biracial character—releases January 20.

Rowan Blanchard, @rowanblanchard

Actress, 14

Blanchard had her turn at breaking the Internet after publishing an insightful post about intersectional feminism. The post, much like her Twitter and Instagram feed, reflects the awareness she possesses at such a tender age.

"I feel that teens are often doubted, making us feel like our opinions won't matter until we are older," she told Teen Vogue. "I don't believe there is a minimum age for intelligence."

Before receiving her Feminist Celebrity of the Year award, Blanchard also spoke on gender inequality at the 2015 UN Women's conference.

Tavi Gevinson, @tavitulle

Actress/Magazine Editor, 19

Gevinson began her promising career as a fashion blogger at the tender age of 11, yes 11. She soon gained notoriety for the way she meticulously styled her eccentric ensembles. She received readership and interest from many, including Anna Wintour.

The blossoming fashion maven eventually, however, dwindled away from the fashion scene and began to deem herself "an intellectual." She started writing about teenage issues and feminism and ultimately launched a brilliant digital teen publication called, Rookie. The magazine landed her a spot on Forbe's 2011 30 under 30: Media list.

"It’s the advice you needed from your closest friends, instead of the ones who suggested you shave your forearms, or wear perfume while running, or even the school counselor who told you not to apply to that one college because 'it’s so hard to get into,'" Vanity Fair's Alex Beggs says of the magazine's annual "yearbook."

As Gevinson's career took off, her influence transcended. In 2012, she did a TED x Teen talk about female representation in the media. She's also stepped into the world of acting. She can be recognized from 2013's "Enough Said" and season one of "Scream Queens."

Willow Smith, @gweelos

Singer, 15

It was clear that Willow Smith was an individual when she shaved her head at just 11 years old.

"My parents always said, 'If you don't carve your own path, someone's going to carve it for you,'" Smith told i-D magazine. "'And that's not fun.'"

She and her older brother Jaden, 17 are often poked fun at for their peculiar tweets, but when taken seriously, they can be called philosophers of sorts. When dissected, their messages show a genuine interest and display of knowledge regarding scholarly subjects such as human consciousness, physical worlds and the like.

But more recently, in response to negativity surrounding her brother's SS16 Louis Vuitton campaign, Willow shared a little knowledge about gender-identity.

"Males and females are put into boxes of expectation when we are born. As we grow we start to realize the damages that those expectations cause to our spiritual and emotional understanding of ourselves and life. The more we start to realize that we are all the same and infinitely different at the same time, the more we begin to shed those expectations and live free to continue to uplift the essence of Earth."

Zendaya Coleman, @zendaya

Actress, 19

If anyone on this list best uses social media to get her point across, it's Zendaya. She used Instagram to shame a magazine for photo shopping her body and she used Twitter to shut down cyber bullying.

But remember the time she went in on Fashion Police host Giuliana Rancic for using racial stereotypes when talking about Zendaya's Oscars look?

Zendaya fired back with an eloquent Instagram post that went mega-viral and received the support of Hollywood and even Barbie, which produced an exclusive Oscars doll for the actress.

If these girls still don't seem amazing enough, check their tweets to see them display some major #GirlPower in support of eachother.