Amandla Stenberg covers the ASOS‘s new Spring/Summer 2016 issue photographed by Adrian Mesko. Read excerpts of Amandla’s interview below.
On the hyper-sexualization of girls her age:
“We live in a society where girls are hyper-sexualised, but I don’t feel like me or my friends are victimised by it. We’re learning how to take control of our identities and I’m asserting my gender identity and my sexuality. It’s scary and overwhelming, but I feel empowered, ready to take on the world. I’m surrounded by people who are really changing things by being themselves and that’s exciting.”
On social justice and representation:
“I’ve always been passionate about social justice and creating representation for people who are under-represented. But now I’m able to express my opinion on a public platform. I used to be too scared to do it and it is scary, but it’s worth it. The internet has made it possible to synthesize ideas into things that are shareable for people who don’t want to read [US author, feminist and social activist] bell hooks.”
On #blacklivesmatter:
“When I say black lives matter, I’m not saying white lives don’t, I’m just saying that this is a group of people that has been systematically repressed for generations so it’s necessary to shed light on it to undo those wounds. Some people think that it’s trying to exclude white people, but that’s not the point. The point is to uplift voices that have been silenced and that’s a problem in the way we’re treating race….
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