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Zendaya Opens Up About Black Representation In Hollywood: “We’re On A Really Good Path”

She's praised Issa Rae and Lena Waithe for creating opportunities for Black talent

Zendaya has opened up about representation in the entertainment industry and said she’s hopeful that Black artists will have more opportunity to thrive in the future.

In an interview with Essence, she said: “It just feels like a lot of the time, especially for young Black people, you’re birthed into a system that’s not built for you. It’s on us to take it from here and hopefully make it better."

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She admits: “But it doesn’t really look like that right now—and the people in charge don’t like to listen to us. But it’s important to lean into hope and lean into the beautiful things that I see my peers doing, whether through their activism or through their art.”

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Explaining why she feels more positivethan ever, Zendaya continued: “I think what’s slowly starting to happen is, artists like Issa Rae and Lena Waithe have created opportunities that have resulted in more of us being in these rooms.

“That’s such a special feeling, and I think it’s definitely changing the idea that there can only be “one at a time,” which is false.”

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She added: “I love to see that genuine love and respect for each other’s work. I hope that we continue to expand that in all kinds of beautiful ways, because I think we’re on a really good path.”

As for her New Year’s wish for Black women, Zendaya replied: “For us to continue to fully realize our power and harness it to do great things, because we are incredibly powerful.”

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