The pride of black history month
Black History Month
celebrates 13.6% of black Americans in the United States: old and young. Hundreds of this population are in the entertainment business and are well-known by Deerfield Beach High School students. Let’s hear about the artists and actors who played a big part in modern-day black history.
To the comedians whose lifeline is to make people laugh, yet also provided for humanity besides laughter. Kevin Hart, a famous black comedian, founded Help from the Hart Charity (HFTH) to help youth gain access to educational opportunities. He recently supported UNCF and KIPP to help students attend historically black colleges and universities or HBCUs.
“I love Kevin Hart because he’s so funny and an amazing comedian. I wish I can be as funny as him,” said DBHS Freshman Cecilia De Paz.
Now for the big-time movie stars who strive for the big screens. Take Chadwick Boseman as an example. He was a known activist and a promoter of the Black Lives Matter movement, and while his unapologetic public advocacy for the movement and his signing of Build Power’s Hollywood 4 Black Lives letter did not go unrecognized, his illness and passing were during a time in which his voice was encouragingly booming.
His impact on black cinema and culture was groundbreaking both on and off the screen. The Black Panther was the first black-lead superhero role in any of the 31 Marvel films, with a 90% black cast, and recruited several black musicians to cater to the soundtrack, such as Kendrick Lamar, SZA, and Anderson Paak. No matter how colossal the impact Boseman had, overall, he always remained inspiringly humble.
“It’s a joy to see, even more so than this award, just the effect the film has on different people from various walks of life, no matter what race, gender, or age,” said Chadwick Boseman.
Of course, the musicians who impacted worldwide music for decades are not to be forgotten. Rihanna is the best way to describe it. Rihanna’s career has inspired many young women to go further in life. She is a role model for black women because of her resilience and inclusion of others. She preaches that no one is bound to a certain label and that people have the power to pursue careers and decisions that define them. She also founded her very own beauty company, Fenty Beauty, which holds more than 40 foundation shades for a range of beauty gurus.
Rihanna’s voice might not be the most conventionally impressive, but it is one of the most flexible of our generation. Further proving the point of breaking barriers. She can lend vocals to an upbeat house hit, a mumbled Caribbean beat, or a sentimental ballad to lovers, and is always guaranteed to climb the charts.
Coldplay lead guitarist, Chris Martin once famously compared her voice to a, “beautifully squeezed tube of toothpaste…this whole, rich thing, solid like a tree trunk.”
There are countless amounts of other black entertainers, like Oscar-winning actress Viola Davis or upcoming star Zendaya that provide role models for kids with adjacent dreams. They all left a trace and will continue to leave their marks on today’s youth.
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