ESSENCE is celebrating African American women this February with the theme, “#BlackGirlMagic Class of 2016.” Yara Shahidi is one of a number of dominant celebrities who is featured on the cover of the magazine as a rising star.
“Being a part of this reemergence of a movement both pro-diversity and pro-woman is the best part of being a Black girl,” Yara tells the magazine. The star also expressed excitement over the cover in an Instagram post. “#BlackGirlMagic class of 2016 #Februarycover of @essencemag,” she captioned underneath a picture of herself gracing the cover.
Yara has received much attention since the ABC series ‘Black-ish’ became a hit. The young star has used her platform to encourage other girls to pursue their passions in life. “When you want something you should go for it,” she advised during one interview. “The best advice I’ve received about acting was from my mother. She always tells me ‘when you stop having fun, quit doing it’ and that’s exactly what I’m going to do. Keep acting until I can’t anymore.”
You can see Yara and other influential African American actresses in the latest issue of ESSENCE on newsstands now!
