The Black American Power Players Shaping Culture Today

Much of the mainstream is just becoming hip to Taraji P. Henson’s amazing talent, thanks to Lee Daniels’s runaway hit Empire, but Taraji’s been dope for years. The actress’s performance in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button gained her an Oscar nod for Best Supporting Actress. Henson has proved her talent to us long ago, so it’s safe to say the acclaim she’s been getting lately is well overdue. For her portrayal of Cookie Lyon, Henson picked up a Golden Globe this year, and she noted how ironic it is that she is only just now being awarded for her work. “Who knew that playing an ex-convict would take me all around the globe? Ha-ha! I thought it would be Queenie [from Benjamin Button] … I thought it would be my character from Karate Kid, but it’s Cookie, who spent 17 years in jail for selling crack. OK!”

Like many Black Lives Matter activists, Elzie gained notoriety during the Ferguson protests, and has since been a leading voice in the movement against police violence and the inequalities that plague this country. Elzie, who goes by @Nettaaaaaaaa on Twitter to her 96,000 plus followers, is one of the founders of Campaign Zero and is part of the We The Protestors planning team, and co-editor of the Ferguson Protester newsletter.

The 26-year-old has been on the frontline of several protests, and has offered insight and education on the movement to numerous outlets like Jezebel, Mother Jones, MSNBC, The New York Times and more. She is a testament to how crucial social media has been to Black Lives Matter, and is living proof that the movement is more than just a hashtag. Elzie covered Essence magazine’s February #BlackGirlMagic issue, and continues to lead and inspire this current generation of conscious people of all ages. (Photo: Getty)

Not many of us could say at 25 years old we were working for one of the most respected publications in the world — a lot of us were (and still are) trying to figure stuff out. And so is Jazmine Hughes. The New York Times Magazine associate digital editor already has an impressive résumé, which includes a stint at New York magazine, a turn as contributing editor at the Hairpin, and writing that has appeared on Elle.com, Cosmopolitan.com, Jezebel, and more.

Hughes’s voice is smart, always hilarious, and very much reflective of her experiences as a millennial. She is not afraid to share with us her unglamorous moments — like the time she bled through her pants on her first day at the Times, or her feelings of insecurity. Whether she’s dressing as Cookie Lyon to remedy feelings of impostor syndrome or waxing poetic about her love for Danny DeVito’s tweets, Hughes’s writing has a modern perspective that is as refreshing as it is wonderful to read. (Photo: Jazmine Hughes)

If you’re a designer and Beyoncé is wearing your clothes, expect your brand to be taken to the next level. Charles Elliott Harbison already had an impressive résumé before launching his brand, having worked at Billy Reid, Michael Kors, Jack Spade, and more. Now, he’s a bona fide designer to watch. Beyoncé made a splash at Kanye West’s Yeezy Season 1 presentation, rocking an entire look from Harbison’s Spring 2015 collection, and the label has been turning heads ever since. Harbison’s designs are inspired by all kinds of women, from Aaliyah and Sade to Katharine Hepburn and Patti Smith. The diversity of his muses shows his range as a truly modern designer who can pull inspiration from a range of women with different cultural viewpoints.

The Lincolnton, N.C.-born designer’s aesthetic, which seamlessly combines masculine and feminine sensibilities, has been embraced by the fashion elite. “I want to create the tools for women to aesthetically represent themselves to the world in a way that is honest and consistent with who they are,” Harbison told Vogue Italia. “In that sense, Harbison should be worn in whatever way my woman wants. She wears Harbison — Harbison isn’t meant to wear her.” (Photo: Getty)

Chicago native Theaster Gates does more than make art. He’s all about creating spaces, whether he’s restoring buildings or bringing together black artists. Gates is using his creativity to help transform communities and to make room for others to do the same. The WSJ 2012 Innovator is a professor at the University of Chicago and also serves as director of arts and public life at the institution. He founded the Rebuild Foundation, which restores spaces in underprivileged neighborhoods in the hope of revitalizing the cultural landscape around them.

In a TED talk, the 42-year-old Gates explains how he went from simply creating artwork to restoring buildings. “I thought, is there a way that I could start to think about these buildings as an extension or an expansion of my artistic practice? And that if I was thinking along with other creatives —architects, engineers, real estate finance people — that us together might be able to kind of think in more complicated ways about the reshaping of cities.”

And Gates’ work is, well, working. With each project, he revitalizes spaces and helps bring together depressed communities, breathing new life into its culture and people. He describes this transformation in his TED talk. “This building, which had been the former crack house on the block … we converted into what we call Black Cinema House … to screen films that were important and relevant to the folk who lived around me. … The building we soon outgrew, and we had to move to a larger space. Black Cinema House, which was made from just a small piece of clay, had to grow into a much larger piece of clay, which is now my studio.” (Photo: Getty)

DeRay Mckesson exploded into the public consciousness during the Ferguson protests and has been one of the loudest and most influential voices in the Black Lives Matter movement. Since his rise to fame (he has 310,000 followers on Twitter), the 30 year-old former teacher and school administrator has proven to be more than just a hashtag activist. Besides educating the masses on the issues of inequality in communities of color on late night talk shows and major news outlets, Mckesson has decided to run for mayor in his hometown of Baltimore, which has seen its fair share of struggle and strife. Mckesson hopes to put policies in place that improve the quality of life for citizens and make the government work for the people. “I’m running to usher Baltimore into a new era where our government is accountable to its people and aggressively innovative in how it identi:es and solves problems,” he recently explained. Enough said. (Photo: Getty)

In a world where teenage celebrities seem to be more interested in Instagram likes than actually standing for something, Zendaya stands firmly apart. Starting her career on the Disney Channel’s Shake It Up, Zendaya has bypassed the messy child star gone bad phase and blossomed into a socially conscious teen star.

Zendaya’s name made headlines last year after she showed up to the 2015 Oscars in a beautiful Vivienne Westwood gown and an equally gorgeous set of faux locs. After E! News reporter Giuliana Rancic said the 19 year-old actress and singer’s hair looked like it smelled like “patchouli oil” and “weed,” which incited controversy and an ensuing conversation on how our society often ridicules women of color for wearing their hair naturally. Zendaya responded graciously to the snub, sharing a well-worded response on her social media outlets. “My wearing my hair in locs on an Oscar red carpet was to showcase them in a positive light, to remind people of color that our hair is good enough,” she wrote.

For many young people Zendaya’s become something of a role model, though, as she told Complex, she’s really just being herself. “I think it’s a responsibility, but like Tupac Shakur, I’m a real model. Which means: I’m not pretending to be something that I’m not, because like he said, people are going to be disappointed when they find out who you are, because it’s not going to be what you presented to the world. So just keep it real I’m a good kid and that’s all.” Zendaya is also a young business woman. She launched her own shoe line, Daya last year and is also an ambassador for CHI hair products as well as CoverGirl. (Photo: Getty)

The themes Carrie Mae Weems mines in her art are just as diverse as the media she uses to create it. But though she’s delved into fabric, audio, text and video, the 62-year-old Portland-born artist is best known for her photography, which often sheds light on what it means to exist as a black person in society. Her images are sometimes comical, sometimes jarring. One of her most acclaimed works is her 1990 Kitchen Table Series, a collection of photographs she made in her own home, which feature her sitting at a table, sometimes with male companions eating, reading the newspaper or smoking cigarettes. Other times, we see her being comforted by friend or getting her hair done. “It kind of swung open this door of possibility of what I could actually do in my own environment…,” she said to Art 21 of the series. “These ideas about the spaces of domesticity that have historically belonged to women, and it is sort of the site of the battle around the family, the battle around monogamy, the battle around polygamy, the battle between the sexes. It’s going to be played out, really in that space.”

Weems, who earned a $500,000 MacArthur Genius Grant in 2013, has also created a series of works exploring the notions of the African diaspora. Though much of Weems’ work features people of color and their stories, the topics are not limited to that. Whether she’s dealing with gender, class or family life, the emotions are universal. (Photo: Getty)

Like many of us, Roxane Gay is an imperfect feminist, and her collection of essays, Bad Feminist, released in 2014 speaks on that – and why it’s OK for us to not necessarily adhere to the impossible standards some set for what it means to be a feminist. We’re all multi-faceted humans with different interests, some that fit together and some that might seem contradictory. And it is that feeling which has made Roxane Gay a darling of the literary world.

Along with accolades for her writing (she’s written for a diverse range of publications from the Hairpin to the New York Times), the Nebraska-Born, Haitian-American Gay is also an Associate Professor of English at Purdue University. Covering topics from sexual violence to reality TV, Gay enjoys culture as much as she enjoys thinking critically about it. As she told the Guardian, her writing helps her “to think through what it means to be in this world. I definitely write to reach other people, but I write for myself first. I don’t mean that in an arrogant way. It’s just that this is me trying to make sense of my place, and how did I get here, and why am I so lucky in some ways, and so unlucky in others? So it starts with me, and then I move beyond the self, as much as I can.” (Photo: Roxane Gay)

In almost every way imaginable, Willow and Jaden Smith aren’t your ordinary teenagers. Their parents Will and Jada-Pinkett Smith are Hollywood A-listers and Willow and Jaden are certainly babies of the business, appearing in films and making music from very young ages. Though it is unremarkable that the children of movie stars would later be famous in life, it is the Smith siblings’ unique vibe that makes them stand out against your average celebrity offspring.
What intrigues people most about the Smiths is how unapologetically themselves they are, even at 17 (Jaden) and 15 (Willow). Teen years are ones of self-discovery, and with that comes plenty of awkwardness and self-consciousness. But it seems Willow and Jaden, or at least their public personas have transcended that.

A 2014 interview with T magazine confirms that the siblings aren’t thinking on a level we mere mortals are. Willow and Jaden are the weirdos you wanted to be in high school (though they aren’t too keen on the concept of traditional schooling) – they make weird music, take weird pictures with their friends, wear weird clothes – that is what makes them so cool. They are true individuals and their vibe has attracted the attention of the fashion world. Marc Jacobs cast Willow in his Fall 2015 campaign and Jaden is the face of Louis Vuitton’s Spring 2016 womenswear campaign – dressed in pieces from the collection. Stance Socks has partnered with Willow on a collection aptly named “Miss Dazey”

This young sibling duo, though extremely privileged, represent what’s to come. They are a generation that will continue to push boundaries in culture, gender, music and art. And we can’t wait to see what they do next. (Photo: Getty)

Though she was born on the West Coast, Walker came of age in Georgia, where her father was a professor at Georgia State. It was there that she began making her art: Large-scale collages of black paper on white backgrounds, many of which depict by silhouette the daily lives of slaves in pre-Civil War America in a narrative format. (Recently, the artist has begun experimenting more with sculpture, including her 2014 piece “A Subtlety, or the Marvelous Sugar Baby” — a massive — and temporary — Sphinx-like structure made of pure white sugar in what was once a Domino sugar factory in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.) Though the stories behind her art are inherently grave in nature, Walker often injects a humorous bent — a quality that’s made her work both beloved and, occasionally, controversial. In 2012, complaints from employees at New Jersey’s Newark Public Library resulted in one of her pieces being temporarily covered.

To Walker, these critiques are all part of her process. “I wanted to make work where the viewer wouldn’t walk away,”she’s said. “He would either giggle nervously, get pulled into history, into fiction, into something totally demeaning and possibly very beautiful.” (Photo: Getty)

Writer and professor Margo Jefferson’s story isn’t of the started-from-the-bottom variety. The daughter of a well-respected Chicago pediatrician father and socialite mother, she was born into a privileged life. Jefferson, now 68, describes that upbringing in her 2015 critically acclaimed memoir Negroland — about growing up in an affluent African-American community, sheltered from the outside world.

But in her late teens, Jefferson traded her cushy upbringing for a life of activism — growing out her well-manicured, lady-like ‘do into an afro and joining the Black Power and feminist movements. Her avid interest in current and cultural events transformed her into a savvy and thoughtful editor at Newsweek, and then as a book reviewer for the New York Times, where she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in 1995. And in 2006, she published her first book — On Michael Jackson, an engaging deep dive into the oft-puzzling nature of the late King of Pop’s celebrity.

Now a Professor of Writing at Columbia University, Jefferson is helping foster the next generation of would-be scholars and critics. Make that will-be: with her insight and eye, it’s hard to imagine one wouldn’t feel inspired. (Image courtesy of Margo Jefferson/Michael Lionstar)

It seems that since we were first introduced to Amandla Stenberg when she played Rue in Hunger Games, the actress has had to defend her identity. Her casting sparked an outrage amongst prejudiced fans who were upset that a black girl was cast to play the character – even though in the book, Rue was described as a person of color with “dark brown skin and eyes.” But in spite of the negativity, Amandla handled the situation with grace and class way beyond her then 13 years of life, saying to Us Weekly, “As a fan of the books, I feel fortunate to be part of The Hunger Games family. It was an amazing experience; I am proud of the film and my performance. I want to thank all of my fans and the entire Hunger Games community for their support and loyalty.”

But as Stenberg has grown, she’s become increasingly more critical and thoughtful about racial, social and cultural issues. Last April, “Don’t Cash Crop My Cornrows,” a video she made explaining what cultural appropriation is and why it’s problematic went viral, earning her plenty of praise. “What would America be like if we loved black people as much as we love black culture?” she asks in the video – and it is a question she continues to explore today. The 17 year old Stenberg is committed to promoting all kinds of diversity and helping people understand and move beyond social prejudices. The actress landed herself a cover of Teen Vogue’s February issue, for which she was interviewed by Solange Knowles about topics covering identity, hair, and her upcoming comic book, Niobe: She Is Life?, which features a black female main character, Niobe, and is also written an illustrated by black women. Currently, Stenberg is preparing herself to attend NYU’s film school, setting her up to be a part of the next generation of influential black women in film, poised to help bring change to an industry that desperately needs it. (Photo: Getty)

High fashion has completely embraced the street and 27 year-old designer Shayne Oliver has a lot to do with it. Over the last seven seasons, the Hood by Air creative director has elevated urban wear— from sweatshirts to stretchy tees— by splicing the influences of hip hop, youth culture and androgyny into one fluid look that’s both sensual and tough. “There’s the element of femininity, the element of masculinity, the element of both, and the element of celebrating, and also breaking down all these elements within the same conversation,” Oliver told The Cut of his label, which has garnered a cult- like following among everyone from Kanye to Kylie Jenner.

At the same time, the label has earned critical accolade from tough critics like Cathy Horyn. And in 2014 Oliver was a finalist for the prestigious LVMH prize and last year he won the CFDA’s Swarovski Award for Menswear. (Photo: Getty)

When your older sister is an international superstar, it can be difficult to come out of that shadow, but Solange Knowles has firmly made a place for herself in the cultural landscape at large. The 29-year-old is a DJ, singer, musician, style darling and creative powerhouse. She founded her own record company, Saint Records as well as Saint Heron, an online destination that covers music, fashion, art and more, focusing on artists and luminaries who so happen to be people of color. The website has everything from insights from Brandy on her R&B career to artist Maurice Harris talking about how floral arrangements allow him to make sense of the space he and other queer black men occupy in our society. The site explores culture from a modern lens and is a reflection of Knowles’ values.

Knowles is also very vocal about social and cultural issues, speaking out against police brutality and inequality in America. She has also lent her talents to contemporary brand Tome, designing a small collection of three white blouses to benefit Katie Ford’s Freedom for All charity, which helps to free those people currently living under the harsh foot of modern-day slavery. Knowles continues to inspire us with her activism, musical prowess and artistic proclivities. (Photo: Getty)

It takes a certain type of journalist to not only report on what’s happening in the world, but actually change the conversation. And in his more than decade-and-a-half career as professional writer and cultural correspondent, that’s exactly what Ta-Nehisi Coates has done.

The Baltimore native—who attended Howard University for five years before eventually dropping out—is now one of America’s most respected social commentators. From current political issues to social justice and race relations, Coates covers it all from his long-running post at The Atlantic, or as a contributor to The New York Times and The Washington Post. He’s also published two books: 2008′s personal memoir The Beautiful Struggle and 2015′s Between the World and Me, which received unequivocal praise for its statements on past and present racial injustice in the U.S., and went on to win the National Book Award for Nonfiction. That same year, Coates, himself, was awarded the $625,000 Genius Grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

Recently, he announced that he’s supporting Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders in this year’s presidential election. And considering that Coates is one of the most revered Black voices in the world today, we’d say Sanders must be pretty darn pleased to have him on his team. (Photo: Wikipedia)

It’s hard to miss Jesse Williams. The light-eyed actor with caramel skin and freckles (his dad is African American and his mom, of Swedish decent) has been entrancing audiences for more than six years on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy in the role of Dr. Jackson Avery.

But even when he’s not onscreen playing the flirty chairman of Grey Sloan Memorial, Williams doesn’t shy from the public sphere—or standing up for what he believes in. The former teacher (he taught high school for six years in Philadelphia before turning to acting) is also an avid activist, serving on the board of directors at civil rights advocacy group The Advancement Project. In October 2014, he marched alongside protesters in Ferguson, Mo., following the shooting death of unarmed teen Michael Brown. And, since 2012, he’s been a producer of “Question Bridge: Black Males,” a trans-media project aiming to redefine black male identity through art installations, community events, and an interactive website.

In fact, Williams says that, should he ever leave acting behind, he’d strongly consider becoming a civil rights attorney, full time. “[Social justice] is what I love and what I care about,” he told The Guardian last fall. “That’s why I wake up.” (Photo: Getty)

Does Kanye West even need an introduction? Eh, not really…but here goes! Since bursting onto the hip-hop scene—first as a producer and then a solo artist (with his debut album The College Dropout in 2004)—the Chicago native has proven himself one of the most powerful, influential rappers today.

But it’s his unrestrained and at times bombastic behavior, more than his music, that’s really made him a household name. There was his denunciation of George W. Bush post-Hurricane Katrina, the infamous onstage trolling of Taylor Swift at the 2009 VMAs, the fallout with Jimmy Kimmel, and his over-the-top 2014 wedding to Kim Kardashian—all of which helped make him a magnet for public scrutiny and controversy.

Still, his infamy hasn’t slowed his influence, in both music and fashion—which West has made into a second career of sorts over the past several years. His personal style is responsible for the popularity of shutter shades, Polo shirts outside the prep crowd, long tees and V-necks, and leather jogging pants. He’s also become a fashion designer in his own right with his sell-out Yeezy sneakers (first by Nike, then Adidas) and three seasons of highly publicized—and surprisingly successful—fashion presentations, which have become one of the hottest tickets of New York fashion week. And with his new, hugely hyped album, The Life of Pablo, now actually on the way, we can only expect West to continuing inspiring (and infuriating) us for a long, long time. (Photo: Getty)

When your designs are spotted on the likes of Beyoncé and the ubiquitous Kardashian-Jenner clan, you know you’re really making an impression in the fashion world. 27-year-old designer LaQuan Smith creates pieces that are simultaneously modern, sexy and sophisticated, whether it’s a barely-there mesh gown or futuristic, structured separates.

It’s amazing to think that with this level of talent and success at such an young age, Smith was turned down from several major New York City fashion schools when he first started out. But even though the Queens native can now say he’s dressed everyone from Lady Gaga to Rihanna to Nicki Minaj, Smith doesn’t want to just see his plunging dresses, well-tailored hot pants and playful bustiers strictly on the red carpet. As he told InStyle, "I’m a fashion designer. I design for all types of women. You don’t have to be a celebrity to wear the clothing.” (Photo: LaQuan Smith)

Comedian Leslie Jones isn’t the result of an overnight success story. The 48-year-old Saturday Night Live cast member and writer with the signature spiked up hair had been in the game for decades when she finally started getting national recognition for her work.

Before comedy, the 6-foot-tall Jones actually had dreams of playing pro basketball, but things changed in 1987 when a college pal submitted her name into a “Funniest Person on Campus” contest—which she won. But the beginning of her professional standup comedy career wasn’t so smooth. The negative reviews were the norm, and on one particularly brutal night, she was booed off the stage before a Jamie Foxx set. (In her own words, she “didn’t have anything to talk about except going to Church and her uncle who stuttered.”) After that, she took a six-year hiatus from standup, but eventually returned at the urging of some of her biggest, most influential fans—including comedy icons Chris Rock and Martin Lawrence.

Jones’s big break really came in 2013, when Rock recommended her for a spot on SNL—which, at the time, didn’t feature a single black female in the cast. She was initially passed up, but accepted the role of a behind-the-scenes staff writer. But several months later, she was onscreen—making her the oldest comedian to be hired in SNL’s history—and causing a much needed ruckus with her booming presence and fearless, brazen brand of comedy. Next up? She’ll star in the all-female remake of Ghostbusters alongside Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig. A presence as big as Leslie Jones deserves nothing short of the big screen. (Photo: Leslie Jones)

The Los Angeles-bred and based artist is a pro at taking items some might see as throwaways and re-imagining them into acclaimed works of art. Through his career, Bradford has amassed quite a collection of awards and accolades for his work, including the National Medal of the Arts in 2015, the 2009 MacArthur Fellowship Award, and the Whitney Museum Bucksbaum Award in 2006 – to name a few. His ability to harness the transformative nature of art, taking items we would usually not notice – end papers used by hairdressers, old barricades, colorful layers of paint lying dormant under a white wall – and create pieces that draw upon and reference everything from his experiences growing up in a multicultural setting in Los Angeles to the Tulsa riots of 1921. Whether he’s producing video installations or unearthing old murals to create a new one, you can count on Bradford’s work to be moving, thought-provoking and iconic all at once.

Bradford also uses his talent and influence to affect his community in positive ways. In 2014, he co-founded Art + Practice, a community art center in Leimert Park, Los Angeles, that not only shows exhibitions, but also offers educational, mental health, and career services for young people. Bradford has dedicated his life not only to creating meaningful art, but meaningful relationships. (Photo: Getty)

Doreen St. Felix is truly a product of her time. The 23-year-old Brooklyn native is a writer, artist, editor-at-large at Lena Dunham’s Lenny newsletter, and is exactly the kind of voice we need at a time when we are re-defining what feminism looks like. St. Felix’s understanding of intersectionality and youth culture is moving the conversation forward today and challenging us to re-examine the way we think when we talk about feminism, culture, and the spaces we occupy in society. In her writing for Lenny, St. Felix explores everything from Grace Jones’s rise to fame and cultural icon status to the story behind Queen Nanny of the Maroons, who is regarded as the mother of Jamaicans. Her activism both on and off the web, like helping to organize protests in support of Eric Garner or speaking at panels on police brutality, shows that St. Felix is way more than just another hashtag activist with media credentials – she’s the real deal. St. Felix’s work has appeared in respected publications like The Guardian, Fader, The New Yorker, and The New York Times. (Photo: @dstfelix)

We hear a lot these days about diversity in Hollywood, and Issa Rae is part of the change many Americans are hoping to see in entertainment. Rae burst onto the scene in 2011 with the Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, a hilarious YouTube series that quickly became a viral hit – and won a Shorty Award in 2012. The main character, J, played by Rae, is nothing like the usual stereotypical parts we commonly see written for black women. J is awkward. J is discontent in her job. J is dealing with a love triangle. She’s a full, fleshed-out person.

Fortunately, with the rise in shows with nonwhite characters, we’re beginning to see a shift – and Rae is on the forefront. HBO just signed a series order for Insecure, a show co-created by the 31 year old actress with Nightly Show host Larry Wilmore, who is also consulting on the project. Rae is part of a generation creating stories with people of color at the center, without making the entire narrative about their race. Issa Rae is poised to offer mainstream America a view of life as a person of color in this country which (sadly) is rarely seen in the media. And if it’s anything as hilarious as ABG, HBO may have a huge hit on its hands. (Photo: Getty)

Cipriana and Takenya (TK) Quann might just be some of the coolest girls in fashion right now. The stylish pair has already received the stamp of approval from the fashion world at large, appearing on best dressed lists for Vogue,Harper’s Bazaar, Elle – just to name a few. They’ve also nabbed campaigns for The Gap and & Other Stories. But besides their frequent sartorial slayage, Cipriana and TK are also making moves on a cultural front. Cipriana is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of 2016 Shorty Award-nominated Urban Bush Babes, a lifestyle website that covers everything from hair and skincare to up-and-comers to watch, like a pair of 12-year-old ballerina twins. Takenya is the executive contributor for Urban Bush Babes and also a singer/songwriter.

Both women are also signed to IMG models, sharing a roster with names like Alek Wek, Ashley Graham, Bella Hadid, Joan Smalls, Karlie Kloss, and more. In a sea full of it-girls who fit Eurocentric standards of beauty, the Quann sisters are a breath of fresh air. Their unique personal styles, stunning good looks and otherworldly hair, combined with their intelligence and fresh perspectives on culture make them a modern Millennial it-pair to be reckoned with. (Photo: Getty)

It’s hard not to stare at Jasmine Tookes. The 25-year-old model has shown no signs of slowing down since bursting onto the fashion scene, and it’s easy to see why. Long legs, perfectly symmetrical face, flawless skin (seriously, we need her skincare regimen right now) and the effortless way she seems to deliver stunning photos time and time again – it’s as if she was born to be a model. Tookes has walked the runways for Calvin Klein, Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, Marchesa, Oscar de la Renta, Louis Vuitton, Balmain and so many others. She’s appeared in campaigns for Lancôme, DKNY and UGG, to name a few, and on top of it all, last year she was added to the roster of Victoria’s Secret Angels, which remains overwhelmingly white.

Tookes has those kind of mind-boggling looks (a result of her West Indian, African-American, Brazilian and European ancestry) that we think is redefining what all-American beauty is. She is also helping to shift our image of what a modern couple looks like. Tookes and her equally gorgeous boyfriend, fellow model Tobias Sorensen are both featured in Calvin Klein’s ‘Eternity Now’ fragrance campaign, and have landed spreads together in Vogue, V magazine and Glamour Spain. Besides being an interracial couple, the pair’s consistent displays of affection, support, friendship and their ability to work so well together professionally are what #relationshipgoals of today are made of. (Photo: Getty)

The Chicago-born artist takes the mundane—like black soap, wax, plants, and shea butter—and repurposes them into provocative pieces (like his “Anxious Men” portraits, rendered in black soap and wax,) about the complicated realities of being black in America. The 38-year-old Johnson also looks to black influencers of the past — from W.E.B. Du Bois to Public Enemy – to inform his work. Considered a “Post-Black” artist, Johnson made his name as the youngest artist to be in the Studio Museum’s 2001 Freestyle exhibition in Harlem.

When Johnson spoke to Art Space about his work, he referenced the famous Boondocks comic strip, which in many ways encompasses his art. “Aaron McGruder writes a comic strip called the Boondocks. And you have this quote. He says, ‘Why does every black person think they were chased by dogs and sprayed by hoses,’” Johnson explained. “I think what he’s trying to get to is that it’s important for you, in a lot of ways, to live your own history and if you are consistently burdened by a bigger history that may have affected your existence but is not your specific story, then you’re doing yourself a disservice.” (Photo: Getty)

Robin Givhan is one of the most respected voices in fashion, and it’s easy to see why. In her analysis of fashion working for such reputable publications as The Washington Post, The Daily Beast, New York Magazine, Vogue and more, she seamlessly connects the sartorial world with culture at large, a talent so great that it earned her the Pulitzer Prize in 2006 for Criticism. Givhan is the first fashion critic to receive such an honor, a testament to how important and influential her work actually is. She also landed herself on Time magazine’s list of 100 fashion icons in 2012, along with the likes of Naomi Campbell, Christian Dior, Marc Jacobs, Mario Testino and several others. Givhan published Battle of Versailles: The Night American Fashion Stumbled Into the Spotlight and Made History in 2015, which chronicles the 1973 face-off between U.S. and French designers at the Palace of Versailles— an event which would catapult American designers to the forefront of fashion. Robin Givhan continues to pen riveting and relevant fashion articles for the Washington Post, which examine everything fro the significance of Sarah Palin’s flashy beaded Milly jacket to luxury fashion’s quiet turn to eco-friendly sensibilities. (Photo: Getty)

As a multi-hyphenate creative ( DJ, architect, and designer) the man behind the cult label Off-White got his start as Kanye West’s creative director, consulting on everything from outfits to album artwork. Off-White, which he launched in 2013, impressed the fashion elite so much, that the 35-year-old Chicago native was shortlisted for the prestigious LVMH prize in 2015— he was the only American finalist. So what’s his winning formula? He has the keen ability to tap into the raw, cutting edge of youth culture and translate it into something accessible for more mainstream audiences. In an industry that is currently enraptured with with streetwear, Abloh delivers a product that is not only appealing, but is also authentic. No easy task. (Photo: Getty)

It seems that director Ava DuVernay’s name has been on the lips of almost everyone since the release of Selma, which was nominated for Best Picture of the Year at the 2015 Oscars. Although she didn’t win, the 43-year-old DuVernay is the first black female director to be nominated for a Best Director Golden Globe and has been a vocal advocate for creating a level playing field in Hollywood, which remains painfully white and male-dominated. As she recently told the New York Times, “There’s a belonging problem in Hollywood. Who dictates who belongs? The very body who dictates that looks all one way.”

DuVernay is doing her part to create opportunities for those in Hollywood who don’t quite belong – women and people of color – most recently announcing plans to hire only female directors for her upcoming OWN series, Queen Sugar, inspired by the novel by Natalie Baszile, about a woman who inherits a Louisiana sugarcane farm. She is also working on a romance/ murder mystery film with Selma star David Oyelowo which takes place around the time of Hurricane Katrina.

Besides this impressive and still-growing list of accomplishments, DuVernay is one of the few directors that can say they have a Barbie doll immortalized in their likeness. DuVernay’s Barbie, which was created as part of the brand’s Sheroes collection, has since sold out. (Photo: Getty)