I will admit that social media has its faults but when it succeeds, it can be great. Numerous times I have logged onto Twitter and Instagram and seen famous people that I admire sharing motivational words, pictures of food and updates on their lives. But more recently what I’ve seen is activism and that makes me immensely happy.
When I was younger, my mom would tell me that celebrities were just like me; they got out of bed the same way I did, they brushed their teeth like me and they were human. She told me these things so that I would understand that there was no real difference between us, everyone just knew their name and their face. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve gotten involved and heavily interested in social justice issues such as marriage equality, the Black Lives Matter movement, gender equality and equity and environmental issues. I’ve made it a mission in my mind to do all I possibly can do to advocate for these causes in the future. I solely believe that being human means recognizing when human rights are being violated and when there is injustice in the world, recognizing that it is a problem and doing something about it. If celebrities are human and just like me, can’t they fight alongside with me too? Well as social media continues to dominate the mainstream, we are seeing just that.
One of my favorite celebrity activists is Matt McGorry. He is known most popularly for acting as John Bennett on Orange is The New Black and as Asher Millstone on How To Get Away With Murder. Like many, when I saw him for the first time on OITNB I went “Oh my god, he’s attractive,” and I immediately went searching for any social media he had. I found his Twitter and Instagram and got even more excited when I saw the issues he was advocating for. McGorry is not alone in this. The list of celebrity activists is a long one and includes Susan Sarandon, Shailene Woodley, Rowan Blanchard, Rosario Dawson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Emma Watson, Alicia Keys, Jesse Williams and the list goes on.
Celebrity activism is a good thing, in my opinion. Fame can bring negative outcomes but when one uses it to address issues and educates members of the public about it, it can bring awareness. At a politically toxic time in our country when the fate of the presidential election is so unpredictable, it warms my heart to see so many actors, singers and notable people encouraging people to vote and actively engage in our country. In addition to awareness, activism also helps shape public opinion. If I see someone in the public eye actively promoting and speaking on social justice issues, I will assume they are not a shallow, self obsessed actor like so many are labeled. They genuinely care.
Let’s talk about Colin Kaepernick. I will admit prior to his showcase of sitting down during the National Anthem I was not all that familiar with him; I only knew that he was the quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers. I paid close attention when I learned about what he is doing and I admired the step he was taking. Many will disagree with what he is doing but as someone who is tired of seeing the news of another black man or woman being murdered by the police, I was excited. In the United States, freedom of speech is something we treasure and openly boast about. That’s exactly what Kaepernick is doing and he is conscious that he is in the public eye. I speculate that he knew he would get backlash and praise and that is exactly what happened. People told him to leave the United States while others told him to continue to sit. His actions have started a conversation that is 100 percent necessary and one that we desperately need to have! Colin continues to sit out and now he is taking a knee. His actions caused a ripple effect because more and more football players and other athletes have followed his lead and are silently protesting as well. That is an example of celebrity activism doing necessary work.
Stop and think about it. Would you rather live in a world where people spoke up and advocated against violence, lack of equity and equality and other issues or a world where people stayed quiet and things only got worse day by day?
