Welteroth: You have this platform where people are looking to you as a thought leader, more than as just a celebrity. It seems you really want to build on that responsibility.
Shahidi: I remember being at the White House and somebody asked me what I wanted to do. I said that I wanted to be a thought leader and she just kinda chuckled and said, “You need credentials for that.” It was really off-putting. I come from such strong support; I come from the land of ‘of course’. Like, ‘of course this is going to happen’ because we have willed it to be and we are going to put in the work to make it happen.
Welteroth: What have you learned from growing up on the Black-ish set?
Shahidi: It’s a funny place to grow up because they appreciate you being a kid, and then there are moments in which they want to know your opinion like a peer. I’ve always been asked how I felt, whether it be at the dinner table or at my place of work, but overarchingly, what Black-ish has shown is the power of aligning with projects you truly believe in. It’s set a precedence. It is a privilege to be able to say pretty much from the get-go that this is what I enjoy and for my opportunities to be so aligned.
