Black Women We're Loving this Month
The month of February brings a lot of wonderful occasions. First and foremost, Black History Month, a chance to celebrate the inspirational Black figures past and present and - the one we love to hate - Valentines Day, just passed. In celebration of both of these, we've compiled a list of some of our favourite Black women, throughout Pop Culture, who we are loving this, and every other, month.
In no particular order:
Viola Davis
Image: Viola Davis Getty Images.
Actor, Producer and all-round inspiration it's no surprise that Viola Davis aka Miss Annalise Keating has made the list. Viola is in the middle of wrapping up the final series of TV heavyweight ‘How to Get Away With Murder’ and recently starred as Miss Rayleen in Amazon Primes series ‘Troop Zero’ which her own Production Company JuVee studios had a hand in producing!
This woman is not short of talent and successes and is the first Black woman to win an Emmy, Tony and Academy Award. For that, she acts as a huge inspiration to Black women everywhere, in terms of honing your craft and breaking barriers, especially those considering a career in Film and Television.
Adut Akech Bior
Image: Adut Akech for Vogue.
Stunning South-Sudanese Australian model, Adut Akech has been the top model to watch since last year and shows no signs of stopping. At only 20 years old (as of December), she’s giving seasoned models a run for their money, covering major magazines and walking runways for Fashion’s elite. Not only is she shining a light on the beauty of Black features and skin, in the eurocentric world we live in, but off the catwalk, she is equally as influential. Her work alongside the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) raises awareness on the experiences of Refugees and advocates the, very important and all too forgotten, message that
“Refugees are just like everybody else”.
For more on this, read her British Vogue Interview here.
Ava DuVernay
Image: Ava DuVernay by Gillian Laub.
After the monumental impact ‘When They See Us’ made last year, and its Critics' choice win, it feels imperative that we add Ms DuVernay to this valentines list. This heart-wrenching series made waves across social media last year, starting conversations and shedding a light on a lesser-known part of Black History.
Easily one of the most well-known female filmmakers of today, with films and shows under her belt including Selma, 13th and Wrinkle in Time, Ava’s amplification of Black voices, experiences and talent in Hollywood is continuously important and for that, she is our forever valentine.
Lizzo
Image: Lizzo, Grammy Awards.
When it comes to Pop Culture, you cannot miss Lizzo. Whether she’s being unfairly criticised for her fashion choices of receiving critical acclaim for her music, she is everywhere.
It's fair to say Lizzo is the Queen of Pop Music, her feel-good anthems and incredible performances began to garner her further attention last year. In late 2019 and early 2020, we saw Lizzo perform at the BET Awards, the Grammy’s (where she took home 3 herself), make a cameo in Hustlers and voted TIME’s Entertainer of the Year (a title we wholeheartedly agree with) amongst other things.
Her talent in music is clear to see, with 'Truth Hurts' gaining No 1 position on Billboard last year and tour dates sold out internationally, but she goes beyond that by also championing larger bodies in media and public spaces. From her Instagram to her backing dancers, Lizzo champions Black Women existing joyfully as they are and we couldn't love her anymore for it.
These were just a few of our favourites and by no means the whole list. Honourable mention goes to Zendaya for Euphoria and her multiple iconic fashion moments as well as Meghan Markle for her strength dealing with the difficulties of life within the Royal Family.
