Here are 8 actresses you should be celebrating for Black History Month, in case you need more reasons to appreciate this February.
1. Zoë Kravitz
Born in 1988, Zoë is the daughter of Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet. Her resume of films is extensive. Her first role was in the 2007 film No Reservations. From there you’ve seen her in Californication, X Men First Class, After Earth, Divergent, Insurgent, Dope, Portlandia, Big Little Lies, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them.
She has modeled (obviously, she is drop dead gorgeous) and is also in a band called Lolawolf.
2. Taraji P. Henson
In 2016, Time named Henson one of the 100 most influential people in the world on the annual Time 100 list. We could probably stop there, right? She’s a New York Times best selling author for her autobiography, “Around the Way Girl.” She has 59 acting credits, including Hidden Figures, No Good Deed, Benjamin Button, Think Like a Man, and The Family that Preys . You’ve definitely seen her on Person of Interest, Boston Legal, and Empire.
She’s had 60 nominations for various awards, and 24 wins. Damn.
3. Janelle Monáe
Although Monáe started off as a singer, she spent 2016 racking up, and impressing everyone, with her acting credits. She starred in both Moonlight and Hidden Figures, two of the best nominated, and winning, films of the year.
She makes everything look effortless. is there anything she can’t do?
4. Viola Davis
Viola Davis has been nominated for 101 different awards, and has won 72 of them. Of these awards, that includes a Golden Globe for best supporting actress in this year’s Fences. She also won an Emmy for How To Get Away with Murder, and a Hollywood Film Award for The Help .
Viola Davis has 77 acting credits including Doubt, The Help, Suicide Squad, Prisoners, Law and Order and Fences.
We <3 Viola.
5. Lupita Nyong’o
The most flawlessly beautiful human being in the world?
Although she was raised in Kenya, Lupita was actually born in Mexico (her father was teaching there,) and she herself traveled back at a point to learn Spanish.
She’s a graduate from the Yale School of Drama and is best known for her work in 12 Years a Slave, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. In 2015 she made her first Broadway debut, and subsequently won a Tony. So she just tries things for the first time and is so good she wins awards? I wish I was like that.
She was in Star Wars, the Force Awakens, and is in the upcoming Last Jedi.
She also has a fashion sense to die for. But that’s obvious even from this picture.
6. Uzo Aduba
You probably love Uzo from her performance as Crazy Eyes in Orange is the New Black. She also killed it as Glinda in The Wiz. She’s won 2 Emmy’s, a Critics Choice Award, and 3 SAG Awards for her work on Orange is the New Black.
If that’s not proof of her talent, then what is?
7. Keke Palmer
You probably recognize her from Scream Queens, and we are screaming with joy about how much we love Keke Palmer. She also did an AMAZING job in Grease Live.
Keke once said, “Giving back, doing motivational speeches and stuff like that, that’s always made me feel good. If you repeatedly go out there, and you are the change that you want to see, then that’s what you are.”
You motivate us with your goodness, Keke. 🙂
8. Gabourey Sidibe
Gabourey Sidibe’s breakout role was the 2009 movie, Precious. Since then, you’ve seen her in American Horror Story, and on Empire.
She said, “One day I decided that I was beautiful, and so I carried out my life as if I was a beautiful girl. I wear colors that I really like, I wear makeup that makes me feel pretty, and it really helps. It doesn’t have anything to do with how the world perceives you. What matters is what you see.”
We can all learn a little bit from Gabourey.
