Stenberg's Desires To Promote Diversity In Film

Stenberg demonstrates her selflessness in her desires to promote diversity in films. During an interview, Stenberg shares what she feels about the lack of representation in the casts of today’s films: ‘“There are so many different kinds of people that aren’t represented, that don’t have characters who look like them. And that’s one of the reasons why I intend on being a director, because I want to actually tell some of these stories’” (“Interview Magazine”). Stenberg clearly demonstrates her selflessness because she chooses to be a director for the sake of others—to cast those who are not usually represented in mass media. While she wishes to pursue directing as a living, her key reason to be a director is to cast unique actors and actresses …show more content…
Furthermore, Stenberg ended up dropping her role in Black Panther, one of the biggest films of the year, because she is biracial: “‘… I got really, really close… And I was like, this isn't right. These are all dark skin actors playing Africans and I feel like it would have just been off to see me as a bi-racial American with a Nigerian accent just pretending that I'm the same colour as everyone else in the movie’” (Parris). Although the decision was excruciating because she had worked extremely hard, Stenberg was willing to drop her role in Black Panther because she did not want to compromise her authenticity as biracial in a movie where the characters were supposed to be fully African. Stenberg exemplifies selflessness in her decision because she wanted the story to be best represented and thus turned down such a lucrative role. Her sacrifice shows that she is very mindful of the movie’s racial significance—to mark a milestone on the importance of diverse cultural representation in American films—and wishes to not interfere with its purpose at all …show more content…
When filming, Stenberg always addresses issue whenever she notices one and is bold to speak her mind: “‘If I see something I think is insensitive, or that kids won't be able to relate to, or I think doesn't accurately reflect my experience, then I'll speak up about it and tell the director and producer, 'Hey, I think we should try it this way...’” (Vincent). Stenberg portrays strong-mindedness in correcting others when the scripts she receives make her character into a stereotype. Although she could risk getting deferred or even fired in the worst case by disagreeing with the script, she still chooses to express her opinions, which emphasizes her strong will for the better. Because of her courage, Stenberg is unafraid to speak for herself, even for small change to her script, in order to make sure that her character is portrayed in the most accurate way possible. By doing this, she is able to act the best she can because she does not let stereotypes hinder her success. Moreover, Stenberg delivered a powerful message in her high school history assignment, a video on cultural appropriation titled “Don’t Cash Crop My Cornrows” that focuses specifically on the issue of non-black celebrities adopting the traditional hairstyle of cornrows, distinct to the African-American culture: “Narrating on-camera with the confidence of a trial lawyer, Stenberg