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10 Most Woke Celebrities

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Being a child, one has viewed the world with a narrow perspective and never really thought beyond what makes a person happy. And it’s not a bad thing, nor something people should be selfish to gift the future generation; instead should focus on the transition of how a naive child becomes a person who is conscious and confident enough to criticize the happenings within society.

As for these celebrities, their choice was impactful to the world they were trying to reach; making a better world for people they are not even related to is praiseworthy. Some celebrities stand up for what they know are the rights of each people. They become a voice for those who cannot be heard from below. And lastly, they lend a hand to those drowning from their unfortunate circumstances. Even though, these actions may criticize them for doing so.

The list below is the woke celebrities who courageously speak out against injustices and practice their rights to use their voice:

John Legend

John Legend, his full name is John Roger Stephens, is an American singer-songwriter and a pianist and was born on December 28, 1978, in Springfield, Ohio. In 2004, Legend received three Grammy Awards for the 2004 debut album, Get Lifted.
John Legend was raised in a working-class environment by musically talented parents. His grandmother played the organ, his father and brother played the drums, and his mother managed the church choir.
Aside from what the mentioned above, John Legend isn’t just a musician and songwriter but also a brave activist. Legend has been an advocate of social change since a young age.
At the age of 15, Legend won an essay contest in which he described his aspirations to become a successful recording artist and to use his resources and influence to benefit society.
In fact, Legend has dedicated his time, effort, and resources to social justice and equality throughout his career. John Legend’s philanthropy and activism have centered on establishing just, fair, and thriving communities for over a decade.

In 2007, Legend established The Show Me Campaign to give every child access to high-quality education and to combat systemic issues in our criminal justice system that unfairly impact the disadvantaged, minorities, and poor.

With assistance from The MacArthur Foundation and in collaboration with The National Writing Project, Legend introduced LRNG Innovators in 2014.
LRNG Innovators aims to enable teachers to redesign learning by tying students’ interests to their purposes better to prepare today’s students for the world of tomorrow.
Legend recently unveiled FREEAMERICA (@LetsfreeAmerica), a multi-year social change initiative to abolish mass incarceration.

To debunk misconceptions, remove barriers, and put an end to the period of mass incarceration, FREEAMERICA wants to amplify the voices of individuals who are impacted by the judicial system and those working to change it.

He has a lengthy history of political activism, though. He discussed his most recent effort for criminal justice reform with political reporter Juana Summers, which involved supporting progressive candidates in county prosecutor or district attorney campaigns.
These candidates favor mental health and poverty interventions over lengthy jail terms and want to abolish the death penalty and cash bail.

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift is an American singer-songwriter in country and pop music. She became well-known in the early twenty-first century for her songs about young love.
On December 13, 1989, in Reading, Pennsylvania, Taylor Alison Swift was born to Andrea Gardner Swift and Scott Kingsley Swift. Her mother raised her and her younger brother, Austin, while her father worked as a stockbroker.
In 2010 at 20, Taylor Swift won the Grammy for Album of the Year, making her the youngest artist in Grammy history. But that doesn’t end there; she also accumulates 324 awards as of now and 11 Grammys.
Taylor Swift expressed an interest in music at a young age and quickly advanced from roles in children’s theater to her debut in front of a large audience. By the time she was 16 years old, singer Taylor Swift had already achieved fame as a country music performer.
Taylor Swift is one of those few celebrities who experienced discrimination as a female singer. However, through her journey, she became braver to the point she knows to take a stand for her convictions and principles.
Furthermore, she decided to fight and use her songs to address various social concerns after years of keeping quiet about sexist remarks about her. Which is an admirable deed that many fans love her.
For example, her song “Only the Young” reveals that she wrote the piece due to her disappointment during the 2018 midterm election. She expressed she was disappointed by the outcome, but what bothers her is witnessing how the youth lost hope.
The song is about the atrocities in today’s society and how young people may ignite change.
She hopes her song will inspire young people to establish their own opinions, exercise critical thinking when casting their ballots, and not just follow most older people’s voting patterns.

Another is the song “The Man.” Taylor wrote, “The Man” to combat the sexist culture women in their industry face, not just in reference to her own experiences.

The song “Lover,” from her seventh album, talks about what her career might be like if she were a guy.

It illustrated how fortunate males are in their professions since no one would ever question their accomplishments, unlike women. People will compliment you for getting what you want faster if you’re a man.

She also releases songs for other matters, such as support for the LGBTQA+ community, “You Need to Calm Down.” She brings attention to the LGBTQA+ community and addresses those who make fun of them without any reason.

Other songs are “Miss American” and the Heartbreak Prince, about disillusionment in the world of politics and inequality. Additionally, “Songs of Protest” is to reach out to people to participate in a cause.

Beyoncé

Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter, a.k.a Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, producer, and actress. As a young girl, she participated in several singing and dancing competitions.
Beyoncé rose to fame as the lead vocalist of Destiny’s Child, one of the most popular girl groups, in the late 1990s. She also launched a hugely successful solo career.
Beyoncé is a fearless activist who speaks out against various social problems in society. She works hard to make the world safer, more just, and more egalitarian, as well as being a celebrated and well-liked performer and singer.

The “Run the World” singer knows how important it is to help others and preserve the environment, whether utilizing her vast platform to advance social justice or promote a vegan diet.

As for the aforementioned, Beyoncé contributes to the promotion of vegan companies. The singer’s BeyGOOD Foundation and the NAACP contributed $10,000 to The Pink Bakery, a vegan bakery in Memphis.
She frequently addresses numerous social concerns in her music and related music videos. She is a steadfast supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement and communities of color, and she is not hesitant to use her critically acclaimed artwork to shed light on social justice issues that are now plaguing the world.
In May 2020, She used Instagram to express her outrage about the killing of George Floyd, a Black man who was killed by a white Minneapolis police officer while unarmed.
Beyoncé also urged her fans to sign a petition supporting Breonna Taylor, a Black lady fatally shot by police in March 2020 as she was sleeping in her own house during a botched police raid.
Beyoncé has also contributed to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) Movement. Beyoncé dedicated the humanitarian award she received at the BET Awards in June 2020 to BLM activists.
In her remarks, she also used the chance to emphasize the value of participation and the need for ongoing support for the Black community.
In April 2020, In partnership with Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey’s relief fund, #startsmall, Beyoncé gave $6 million to the National Alliance in Mental Health, the University of California Los Angeles, and other local community-based organizations fighting to improve mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Beyoncé also utilized the opportunity to discuss climate change and donated her whole Cadillac Records paycheck to Phoenix House, a drug recovery facility.

Zendaya

Zendaya, her full name is Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman, is an American singer, actor, producer, and dancer from a theatrical background. She was born on September 1, 1996, in Oakland, California, to Kazembe Ajamu Coleman and Claire Marie Stoermer.
She started modeling for Macy’s, Mervyns, and Old Navy as a child. Zendaya also spent a lot of her early years playing at the California Shakespeare Theater since she’s the daughter of a stage manager.
Zendaya participated in several regional theatre performances while attending the Oakland School for the Arts. She also developed her skills at the Cal Shakes Conservatory and the American Conservatory Theater.
Besides her professional work, Zendaya is also doing what she does best: staying woke. She made it her mission to use her voice to speak out against any racial injustices. Moreover, she is more vocal in speaking up against unjust beauty standards and concerns with body image.

Someone once expressed that Zendaya’s dreadlocks made her “feel like she smells [ed] like patchouli. Or weed.” Thus Zendaya tweeted back that the comment was “ignorant slurs and utter contempt.”

Indeed, the statement was a part of the all-too-common conversation about black women’s cleanliness and drug use.
She became an admirable star because the actress stood up to racist small-talk. People praised her for her refusal to give in to Hollywood’s control over her.
For instance, she encouraged her followers to give to charity over the holiday season in 2017 to aid in Los Angeles’ famine relief. Additionally, all of the clothing in her fashion line, Daya by Zendaya, was gender-neutral to convey to the fashion industry that gender-neutral clothing is profitable.
However, it’s important to remember that occasionally small-scale activities can have a big impact. Zendaya is also really good at that.
She has a reputation for leading an all-Black team. She even makes an effort to dress in black designers for photo shoots and red carpet appearances.
Undoubtedly, everything is being done in an effort to support black, from small to big companies. This is extremely important, especially in a field where black people’s achievements are frequently overshadowed.
However, the actress feels uneasy calling herself an activist. After all, activism is a way of life.

Aidan Gallagher

Aidan Ryan Gallagher, or Aidan Gallagher, is an American film and television actor born on September 18, 2003. He is well-known for portraying Number Five in the acclaimed Netflix series The Umbrella Academy.
Aidan came from a stable Christian household in Los Angeles, California, where he was born and raised. He belongs to the Christian religion and is an American by nationality.

He rose to fame as one of the country’s most well-liked young performers after playing “Nicky Harper” in the Nickelodeon sitcom “Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn.”

He began his acting career at nine, appearing in the Emmy-winning television series ‘Modern Family.’ His parents have been very encouraging and supportive as he pursues an acting career.
Aidan was recognized as one of the top performers under the age of 25 and made Variety’s Power of Young Hollywood Ones to the Watch list in August 2018.

In addition to being a successful actor, Aidan is well-liked on several social media sites and frequently updates his Instagram account with photos to connect with his followers. On June 3, 2006, he launched the “AidanRGallagher” YouTube channel, which has gathered millions of views.

As a youth activist, he stands up to advocate for organizations including the Oceanic Preservation Society, WildAid, Sea Legacy, and Vulcan Productions. Aidan made history in June 2018 when he became the youngest ambassador in the history of the UN.
Aidan has spoken at the 2019 Global Climate Action Summit on behalf of the United Nations and hosted the Illegal Wildlife Trade Summit at the invitation of the UK Government, where he introduced the Duke of Cambridge (Prince William), representing the youth of the globe.

“I believe that if today’s youth work together raising our collective voice, we can affect the positive environmental change that Planet Earth needs so desperately. I am committed to lending my voice and participating in action campaigns to support the UN Sustainable Development Goals that must be achieved by 2030,” Aidan said.

“I hope to be a source of change and inspiration to my peers, empowering them to reach out and take action that will ensure the healthy survival of all of our species and ecosystems,” he added.

By bringing attention to pressing environmental issues, Gallagher hopes to leverage his fame and influence among young people to aid in preserving the world’s oceans and wildlife.
Additionally, he works as a youth advocate for Vulcan Productions, WildAid, The Waterkeeper Alliance, and Oceanic Preservation Society (OPS).

Emma Watson

Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson, professionally known as Emma Watson, is a British Actress, a model, and a brave activist. She was well-known for her role as Hermione Granger, a young wizard in the Harry Potter movies.
Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson was born in Paris, France, to lawyers Chris Watson and Jacqueline Luesby. When she was five, her family relocated to Oxfordshire, where she attended the Dragon School.
Emma began training at Stagecoach Theatre Arts in Oxford, a part-time theater school, when she was six years old since she knew she wanted to be an actor. There, she studied acting, singing, and dancing.
After attending an audition for a role in the J.K. Rowling novelization, Watson started acting professionally in 1999. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by Rowling (2001). She played Hermione, one of Harry Potter’s closest pals.
The movie set records for opening-day sales and opening-weekend earnings, becoming the most successful movie of 2001. Critics acclaimed the film’s and the three leading young actors’ performances.
The Daily Telegraph, a widely read British newspaper, praised her performance as “admirable.” Emma went on to win the Young Artist Award for Leading Young Actress in a Feature Film after being nominated for five prizes for her work in the movie.
Emma Watson established herself as a feminist icon at a very young age and actively joined the movement for gender equality. Also, she was appointed a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador that year.
Emma became a Counsellor for One Young World in 2016 and attended the Summit in Ottawa with ten other young leaders who had won the One Young World Emma Watson Scholarship.

“Feminism is simply the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities, and within that is women’s right, just like men, to make their own choices. Nothing more and nothing less,” said Emma Watson, who was a counselor at One Young World in Ottawa in 2016.

The award is for those who have demonstrated effective advocacy; they were influencing change in the area of gender equality through their work.

Emma was the speaker of a workshop titled “Gender Equality: Challenging Stereotypes from the Ground Up.” Emma has been advocating a feminist Belle for young girls to look up to and continuing the public conversation on gender equality while promoting the premiere of Disney’s Beauty & the Beast this year.

She promoted gender equality and women’s rights. Watson led the “Our Shared Shelf” feminist book club, an online forum for reading and discussing works by and about women, from 2016 until 2020.

Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie Voight, most known as Angelina Jolie, is an American actress and director and was born on June 4, 1975, in Los Angeles, California, U.S. Jolie is famous for both her sex appeal and humanitarian work.
Angelina Jolie, the daughter of the actor Jon Voight, grew up in New York for the duration of her youth until moving to Los Angeles at the age of 11. Jolie studied at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute for two years before enrolling in Beverly Hills High School.
Jolie earned an Academy Award for her supporting performance in Girl, Interrupted as a patient with mental illness (1999).
In 1998, she portrayed a supermodel who battled heroin addiction in the HBO film Gia. For this role, she won numerous awards, including a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
Jolie has a history of standing up for others with her voice, emphasizing the difficulties faced by refugee populations or supporting animal conservation. Angelina Jolie pushed through several charitable endeavors as a devoted humanitarian driven to improve the world.
She gained attention through her work on the big screen or as the celebrity daughter of prominent celebrities. Still, she has continued to use her enormous platform to advance fairness and kindness worldwide.
In 2012, Angelina Jolie fought against sexual violence and teamed up with former Foreign Secretary Lord William Hague of Richmond. They start The Preventing Sexual Violence In Conflict Initiative.
The campaign seeks to increase awareness of the prevalence of sexual harassment against adults and children during armed conflict and to mobilize international action to put an end to it.
Furthermore, she works to help refugees. Angelina Jolie worked with the UNHCR for 20 years. She started as a goodwill ambassador for the agency and has been to places like Thailand, Iraq, and Sierra Leone to aid in finding solutions for those forced to flee their homes.

In 2021, Jolie was dubbed the “Godmother” of the Women for Bees initiative, a five-year program created to educate women and beekeepers worldwide. Because of this, the actress appeared for a picture in National Geographic while covered with bees to increase awareness of conservation efforts.

These are only a few movements she takes a stand as a brave humanitarian. There are still several movements that many fans have looked up to her.
For instance, she fights for orphaned and abandoned children, uses her platform to spotlight refugees, starts a humanitarian foundation, gives back through fashion, empowers others to make the world a better place, and supports the Black Lives Matter Movement.

Chris Evans

Christopher Robert Evans, a.k.a Chris Evans, was raised in the nearby town of Sudbury after being born in Boston, Massachusetts, on June 13th, 1981. His mother, Lisa (née Capuano), is an artistic director at the Concord Youth Theater, and his father, Bob, is a dentist; however, his parents divorced in 1999.
Chris Evans is known for his captivating roles in superhero movies, and his nuanced dramatic and humorous performances are respected. He is also a film producer and director.
Evans started his acting career by performing in community theater and school productions. His involvement in school plays as an actor persuaded him to pursue a profession in this area.
Aside from being an actor or his other profession, he also takes a stand in speaking out about politics. As an actor, he is also a co-founder of A Starting Point and uses his voice when it comes to politics, youth activism, and the value of empathy.
On Twitter, the actor has been outspoken about politics and has criticized former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke on his timeline. Evans spoke with Esquire on his decision to be so politically active and his opinions on President Trump’s victory.
While playing such a significant character as Captain America, Chris Evans states whether he ever hesitates to use such a strong statement; his response is:

“…I would not be able to look at myself in the mirror if I felt strongly about something and didn’t speak up. I think it’s about how you speak up. We’re allowed to disagree. If I state my case and people don’t want to go see my movies, as a result, I’m okay with that,” he expressed.

After Trump was elected, Evans felt he had to start working on A Starting Point (his political engagement platform). He publicly expresses his severe disapproval of several of Trump’s policies on social media. He also individually disagrees with them.
Together with actor and director Mark Kassen, entrepreneur and philanthropist Joe Kiani, and other partners, Evans co-founded the app and website A Starting Point.

Alicia Keys

Alicia Augello Cook, most known as Alicia Keys, is an American singer-songwriter, pianist, and actress. She was born on January 25, 1981, in New York, New York, U.S.
She is the daughter of Craig Cook, a flight attendant, and Terri Augello, a paralegal and actress.
Alicia Keys became famous and succeeded in the early 2000s with her blend of R&B and soul music. Keys started playing the piano at age seven and performing at four, focusing on jazz and classical music.
She started writing music when she was 14 years old, and two years later, she graduated top of her class from the Professional Performing Arts School in Manhattan.

Songs in A Minor, the enormously popular first album by Keys, was published in 2001. It featured the number one song “Fallin’” and sold more than 10 million copies globally.

In 2002, she received five Grammy Awards, including those for best new artist and song of the year.

She also collaborated with Usher on the song “My Boo,” which peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 list for six weeks. By winning four Grammy Awards in 2005 for best album, song, female vocal performance, and performance by a duet or group with vocals, Keys solidified her position as one of pop music’s top performers.

Alicia Keys conveyed a clear message through the strength of her voice and piano. As the face of the Grammys during a week marred by horrific claims of sexism and voting fraud, Keys chose to focus on the creators of music rather than the business interests who profit from it.

“I’m proud to be here. And I’m proud to be here and feel the energy of the artists,” Keys said. “It’s a new decade. We can reuse the negative energy. We refuse the old system; we want to be respected for our diversity.”

She ended with, “We unite in spite of what went on this week. Music changes the world. It’s when people do nothing that the bad guys win.”

Will.I.Am

William James Adams, widely known as Will.i.am, is one of the founding members of the Black Eyed Peas. His mother, Debra Adams, gave birth to him in Los Angeles, California, on March 15, 1975, and he never met his father, who left them.
In high school, he met Allan Pineda or known as Apl.de.ap. They combined their talents that ignited the fire in pursuing music and created the Black Eyed Peas group, which gave birth to various famous songs.

Will.i.am embraced the politics and was known to support Former President Obama back in 2008 openly. He won Emmy and Clio’s award with the music video he had created entitled “Yes we can,” which was composed of different speeches of Barack Obama.

Despite the love and support he has unconditionally shown, this never stopped him from criticizing the said former president.

In 2011, when the group was performing the song “Where is the love” at Super Bowl halftime, it was unarguably noticeable how some lyrics differed from the original.

“Where is the Love” was sung by Will.i.am and when Barack Obama’s re-election bid in 2012. William had also openly expressed that he won’t support him as he did back then, yet he wasn’t against this, and William was hoping it would be different this time.

In addition, he has his foundation, I.Am.Angel, which focuses on promoting education. One of its programs, I.Am.Steam (Steam stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) introduced underprivileged students to learning opportunities outside of the classroom. It led to his recognition as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2013.
The ever-futuristic Will.i.am shows no signs of slowing down with a new solo album in the works, the Black Eyed Peas’ comeback, and his ongoing presence on UK television and behind the scenes with top musicians.