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Age: 21
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Occupation: Actor
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Pronouns: They/Them
Amandla Stenberg is a quiet storm of activism. The Hate U Give star first displayed the power of their voice when a video they shot with a classmate for history class, called "Don't Cash Crop My Cornrows: A Crash Discourse on Black Culture," went viral. Slowly rising into their role as a teen activist, Amandla came out as bisexual in 2016 during a Teen Vogue Snapchat takeover hoping to inspire Black women to live in their truth.
Two years later, in a one-on-one with Wonderland magazine, Amandla, who has also come out as nonbinary, shared that they are gay. "I was so overcome with this profound sense of relief when I realised that I'm gay — not bi, not pan, but gay — with a romantic love for women," they told Wonderland.
Amandla's openness about their sexual evolution puts a face to sexual fluidity, showing others that your identity doesn't have to just be one thing and can change as your life and experiences change, too. "I was flooded with a sense of calm and peace because everything that I struggled with or felt discomfort around finally made sense to me, and once those floodgates opened and years of pent-up pain and shame were released, I found the freedom to live my best life waiting for me just underneath," they said.