“I was in the audition process for it, then I decided to not continue with the process because I thought that it wouldn’t be right for me as a biracial, light-skinned American to be playing [the role]. I don’t think visually it [would’ve] make sense and it wasn’t appropriate for me to go after that role. Black Panther is one of the only films that we have that has darker-skinned representation. That’s what was so beautiful about it.”
– Amandla Stenberg, to Essence, on the importance of authentic representation and why she opted out of the role of a lifetime to honour that.
She didn’t compromise her identity or integrity.
Brava!
Great things in store for her.
She’s an idiot! There was a woman who was her complexion, hell, maybe she was lighter than her and she was in the Dora Milaje, so she played herself.
Kudos to her for having enough awareness to bow out of something that didn’t quite make sense. If only white actors could take the same initiative.
Let’s not forget roles that were originally intended to be white males and are now being recast as make-work projects for non-white actors and women.