Generation Next

Known as much for her fearless political sensibility as for her popular television performances, Yara Shahidi is one of generation z’s most prominent stars. And there’s more to her than you might think.

There’s a perennial tendency for a generation to put themselves on pedestals, reminiscing about their own glory days, while writing off the age group that comes directly after them. True to trend, gen Z often stands to be stereotyped by its older cohorts as a bunch of smartphone-addicted narcissists who exist solely to post dog-filter selfies. Enter Yara Shahidi.

The 19-year-old actor happens to be the ultimate comeback to a tired argument. A generational trump card, she is proof young people do have the power to change the world. Though Shahidi does take selfies: some with the Obamas and academic Angela Davis, members of Congress she’s met and activists she’s inspired by.

Her social network is defined by like-minded, outspoken women, such as actress Rowan Blanchard and journalist Elaine Welteroth. Shahidi probably spends a lot of time on Instagram, too, but her feeds feature posts about gun reform or the Women’s March or the reasons why young people must take a stand and vote.

An unconventional superstar, she balances her work in acclaimed sitcom Black-ish and spin-off Grown-ish, with movies such as this month’s The Sun Is Also A Star, while also being a pioneering activist and student at Harvard.

Here, she talks with the writer, art curator and fellow free-thinker behind Instagram account @museummammy, Kimberly Drew, about the need for more joy and the making of heroes on social media.

YARA SHAHIDI: Hey Kimberly, so did we first meet at the Guggenheim?

KIMBERLY DREW: We did, at a party!

YS: I have a photo-booth picture from it. I jumped the queue to get in that…

KD: It was an amazing first encounter because Yara, you’re definitely a person I had been admiring through so many different channels. It was funny to meet you and be like, “Oh my God, she’s a real person!”