By now, I’m sure you must have heard that Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari has signed the “Not Too Young to Run” bill into law. The Reduction Age for Election Bill popularly known on social media as #NotTooYoungToRun, will see the reduction of the minimum age to run for president from 40 to 35 years, State and Federal representatives from 30 to 25 years; and 30 years for Governors and Senators.
This bill is undoubtedly a turning point in Nigeria’s history, and is an inspiration to not only Nigerians all over the world, but people of African descent. Which brings me to Yara Shahidi (stay with me guys). To me, she epitomizes the ideal that there’s no age mimimum to being a social/political activist, and now more than ever, as global citizens, this has become of utmost importance, especially as young women of colour.
Yara Shahidi is the 18-year old politically aware actress who everyone can’t seem to get enough of. Not only is the multi-cultural teenager completely aware of her essence, she speaks with the wisdom of a woman decades beyond her years. I hate to go all African on you, but she really is what you would call, an old woman stuck in the body of a teenager.
The Iranian-American actor became an instant one-to-watch personality, when at the age of 14, she was thrust into the limelight with her role on award-winning show, Black-ish which portrayed her character, Zoey Johnson, as a socially-active teenager. The show ran from 2014 until earlier this year where it would be replaced by a college-years spin-off, Grown-ish. Black-ish brought to the forefront the African-American culture in a way that made race, a usually uncomfortable subject matter, the focal point.
Beyond her stardom, Yara has not only been able to use her voice past the Iranian and African-American societies who she admits that she’s closely connected to, she’s become an advocate for girls of all ages and colour. She set up Yara’s Club in partnership with The Young Women’s Leadership School – an initiative that brings high school students together to discuss social issues and how to take action to make positive change. She also launched Eighteenx18, a platform to encourage her peers to vote for the very first time in the upcoming US midterm elections on November 6.
As a scholar, she also advocates for the rights to education and equity.
“Education is crucial because I understand the privilege I’ve had in how particular education has been to me. My realm of possibility seems so much larger.”
She is Harper’s Bazaar Arabia‘s most recent cover girl, and during her interview with the publication, the book worm who admits to carrying roughly 10 books with her to bed, emphasizes that she has an appetite for learning about diversity and various cultures. With a hand written recommendation from the former First Lady, Michelle Obama, Harvard looks like the next big adventure on the teen’s to-do list. Even with the vast amount of knowledge she possesses, Yara considers herself a student. “But far beyond what you learn in books, it is life lessons that are most valuable, she says. “In the broader sense of the word, this last year has been so much about learning and growing, so I’ve been a student of many teachers this year, especially my parents. I’ve been receptive to learning and receptive to the world around me. Also entering my adulthood has meant there have been moments that I’ve had to learn from and continue exploring – it’s required me to learn new skills.”
Even Oprah at her super soul conversations in which she sat down with the teenager, was so in awe of her that she stated to her:
“Your future is so bright, it burns my eyes”
It’s so great to see the next generation be so politically woke and conscious. Yara seems to have inspired a new generation who are not merely content with being passive but know that they too have a voice and are open to utilising it.
Read the full interview here.
