This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s spring editorial intern Maya Stokley. Find her on Instagram at @maya.aesthetic. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
Everyone raise your glasses and blow your horns: Women’s History Month is upon us! So, we have to celebrate! A little small history lesson: Women’s History Month originated as a week (like Black History Month) back in 1978 in California, and it expanded into a month in 1987! Now, why March? Because March 8th is International Women’s Day, so why not dedicate a whole month to celebrating all of the phenomenal women in our lives? And, to start it off, let’s celebrate some of the most influential Zillennial women in our lives!
#1: Malala Yousafzai
Do y’all remember reading “I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up For Education and Was Shot By the Taliban” back in 2013-2014? I remember reading parts of it in my elementary school around the 5th grade. Best believe I was sat every time I got my hands on it. (You know, because it was the Book of the Month, and there was only one copy in the classroom). Anywho, Malala Yousafzai is the definition of an influential Zillennial woman! Her story resonated with millions of young girls about the importance of education. Also, Malala taught us how politics can dictate one’s future with it as well. She became the youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate in 2014 with her story. Furthermore, she has advocated for women’s education globally by traveling across the globe and starting the Malala Fund. Malala graduated from Oxford University with a degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics in 2020. Last but not least, she is still speaking out against the Taliban rule to this day! She is literally a Supergirl and one of the most influential Zillennial women walking on this Earth. Honestly, that’s a slay.
With my two cents, I strongly believe that Malala has taught many women what it means to be aware of their political and social standings in their countries. And to read about her story at such a young age, I couldn’t believe that this was happening! I was in shock when I read the part about the gunman because I thought, “She did nothing wrong.” But everyone should read Malala’s story or at least hear about it because it still resonates with so many women and young girls. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.
#2: Greta Thunberg
I’m sorry, but I know y’all have heard of Greta. If you haven’t, stop reading and look her up right now! Greta dominated almost every news channel globally when she iconically (emphasis on the iconically) gave a speech to the United Nations climate summit back in 2019. Let me link here so you can watch this woman call out the political leaders’ lack of response to climate change. Okay, back to my usual script!
Greta Thunberg has always been at the forefront of climate change! And trust me, she didn’t get her start back in 2019. She began the first climate change school strike in 2018 when she was 15 years old! Because of the protest of gun violence in Florida at a school, it inspired her to put climate change on the map, and it did! Soon after her speech, she became the Person of the Year by TIME in 2019 and the honor’s youngest recipient! Frankly, I could list all of her achievements, but that is what Google is for! Greta started a global movement that is deliberately outspoken about the ongoing crisis on our planet. It has become such an issue that the number of carbon emissions is continuously rising, and the clock is ticking.
Having Greta Thunberg, someone from the 21st century, be one of our most influential environmental activists is more than an honor. It is such a privilege to have her voice for generations to come! Applause for Greta, just a round of applause!
#3: Yara Shahidi
Have you seen Blackish? Grownish? I haven’t some episodes of Blackish, but I binged Grownish like crazy! And of course, one of my favorite characters is Zoey (her character development is so realistic and very much needed). But, I especially love the amazing person behind the character: Yara Shahidi! Yara has graced our screens since she starred in Blackish back in 2014. Then we saw her college experience in Grownish in 2018! With her amazing acting skills and executive producing magic, Yara has proven herself a force in Hollywood by helping create content about young Black women. One of my favorite movies she plays in is “The Sun Is Also A Star” like oh my gosh! The story is heartwarming and proves once again that you never judge a book by its cover when meeting people from different walks of life! Okay, the hopeless romantic in me is jumping out, I have to put her back in!
But, Yara is not just a talented actress and producer! She founded the “We Vote Next” organization that helps young adults to vote and be more politically aware with different issues. Also, she is a Harvard grad known for interviewing political figures like Hilary Clinton! From watching her grow up along with me, I knew that Yara was destined to be one of this generation’s leading voices. If anything, I am so excited to see what she does next!
#4: Quenlin Blackwell
Now, I know you have seen Quen before! If you had Vine or watched some Vine compilations, Quen was definitely in some of the most popular ones! Quenlin Blackwell is one of the most authentic content creators on Beyonce’s Internet but has become a staple in social media due to her past successes. I would say Quen was one of our generation’s first Black women content creators! Her success mostly came from Vine when she had almost over 400 thousand followers with her iconic meme videos (please watch some of them; they are legendary!). But, then, the death of Vine came upon us. Where did Quen go? Oh, of course, to YouTube! As of today, she has over eight million subscribers on the platform! Some of her content videos include the Starving Influencers series (the one with Hasan Piker is too iconic) and the Roblox Dress to Impress series.
Also, she stars in music videos like JT’s “90s Baby” and danced on the Grammy’s stage with Charli XCX like COME ON! Quen is one of the girls and shows her personality unapologetically! It shows that her success is on the rise daily and she is letting us know that it is okay to be yourself and be loud about it too!
#5: Starr Andrews
Now, y’all know I had to put an athlete here! Starr Andrews is an up and coming figure skater that has won massive success with her talent in the sport! The list of awards and acknowledgments can go on forever, and she is in her early 20’s! But, at the top of that list, she is the first African American woman to win a Grand Prix medal in the singles division. So, everyone let’s clap for Starr! She won the award around the 2022-2023 season and has not stopped since! Now in the current season, she still wins championships and competes in multiple series!
It’s the way that I have not heard of Starr before and I am so obsessed with her! As a collective, we don’t hear much about figure skating when it is such a competitive sport! I mean, Starr Andrews’ performances are to die for. I don’t know much about the sport but my eyes never left my screen. All I know is that Starr will continue to be a great success in the sport and I will be watching her from now on!
Do you know any more Zillennial women that should be recognized this month? Share in the comments your thoughts!
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