Amandla Stenberg: Rising Star and Trailblazer in Film and Activism

Amandla Stenberg is an American actress, musician, and activist born on October 23, 1998, in Los Angeles. Perhaps best known for playing Rue in The Hunger Games, she is an ever-rising star who didn't give up on fighting for justice and racial and sexual equality.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Amandla Stenberg was born in the city of Los Angeles, California, on October 23, 1998, to Karen Brailsford, an African American spiritual counselor, and to Tom Stenberg, who is Danish. Her name means "power" in the South African languages of IsiXhosa and Zulu. She started her career as a four-year-old kid, having been hired as a model for Disney before appearing in commercials for big household names. Her love for acting expanded as she started to involve herself with school plays and local theatre.

She made her feature film debut with the thriller Colombiana in 2011. It was only her role in The Hunger Games with Rue, an audience of young black girls, that she received several award nods and critical appreciation, and that had put one more feather in the cap of making Amandla Stenberg one of the new stars of Hollywood.

Rising to Stardom

Later, Stenberg worked on the television shows Sleepy Hollow (2013–2014) and Mr. Robinson (2015) and lent her voice to Rio 2 in 2014. In 2015, she released her first EP with the folk-rock duo Honeywater, which she had formed with Zander Hawley. 

That year, she was at the forefront of the media spotlight over her video "Don't Cash Crop My Cornrows," which touched off important discussions about cultural appropriation and representation in media.

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Adult Roles and Activism

Stenberg transitioned to adult roles in films such as Everything, Everything (2017) and The Hate U Give (2018). In The Hate U Give, she brought to the screen what systemic racism and police brutality mean for the public everywhere. She will star in the 2024 series The Acolyte, part of the Star Wars franchise.

Stenberg is an active advocate, has been non-binary identified since 2016, and uses the pronouns she, her, and they. Named to Time's Most Influential Teens and to Ms. Foundation for Women, which dubbed her Feminist Celebrity of the Year.

Music and Creative Pursuits

Aside from acting, Stenberg is an instrumentalist who plays the violin, drums, and guitar. She has written songs and made performances for movies, which allow her to put her love of music into her cinematic work. 

She is also a visual artist who creates paintings and drawings that have been showcased in galleries.

Personal Life and Influences

Stenberg has quite openly shared her struggle with anxiety and depression, but she uses her platform to emphasize the importance of taking care of mental health. She credits her mother for finding ways to help her cope and stresses that therapy and self-care have helped her.

Politically, Stenberg is a democratic socialist and otherwise supports progressive causes. She raises awareness about issues like police brutality, and environmental justice and lends her platform to the struggles of various underrepresented communities.

Future Projects and Aspirations

Ahead, the stargazing semester for Stenberg includes taking the lead in The Acolyte, which undergoes examination in the dark side of the Force from the Star Wars universe. 

She wants to do "diverse and interesting things" that are going to help stretch storytelling boundaries further and stand for inclusivity inside Hollywood.

Legacy and Impact

Amandla Stenberg's journey is one of self-identity, creativity, and social justice. As a young actress and activist, she is an inspiration in helping the new generation take part in cultural conversations about identity and representation. 

Amandla Stenberg had earned a place to be by making her legacy and working on a greater discussion—equally important—of having diverse narratives in the media.

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