Actor John Boyega took to social media to make his love for Black women known. But he’s not the only one.
Twitter User Comes For John Boyega
John Boyega is not shy about expressing his love and appreciation for Black women, online and IRL. But even though his messages about Black women are positive, not everyone is a fan.
Recently, a Twitter user tried to call out Boyega for his dating preferences, saying that if a white man said the same, they’d be called a racist.
But “The Woman King” actor said what he said, doubling down on his preference for Black women. His responded to the since deleted tweet, saying,
“When they talk about preferring brunettes or blondes they’re not talking about a wig. My preference is not a topic for debate.”
And just like that, social media went wild. From Twitter memes to thinkpieces, the exchange sparked a widespread response.
A History of Racist Attacks
As the first Black “Star Wars” stormtrooper, John Boyega is no stranger to defending himself against racism. In an interview with GQ, he talks about his experience as the target of racist attacks.
“I’m the only cast member who had their own unique experience of that franchise based on their race. Let’s just leave it like that.” John Boyega says, adding that the experience angered him, causing him to become more militant about his Blackness.
“Nobody else in the cast had people saying they were going to boycott the movie because [they were in it]. Nobody else had the uproar and death threats sent to their Instagram DMs and social media, saying, ‘Black this and black that and you shouldn’t be a Stormtrooper.’ Nobody else had that experience. But yet people are surprised that I’m this way. That’s my frustration.”
Others Who Show Their Appreciation For Black Women
John Boyega is not one to back down when it comes to expressing how he feels Black women. And fortunately, he’s not the only one. Here are five other celebs who aren’t shy about bigging up Black women:
Samuel L. Jackson
View this post on Instagram
Samuel L. Jackson is a legend in the Hollywood industry, beloved by men and women of all backgrounds. He has quite a few box office hits under his belt, including “Django Unchained,” “Pulp Fiction,” and the classic Black comedy “Coming to America.” As a result, Jackson has earned the title of the second highest-grossing film actor of all time, with over $27 billion globally.
But even though Jackson is a big man in Hollywood, he still has an appreciation for his people, and especially Black women.
View this post on Instagram
In an interview with Essence, his wife and college sweetheart LaTanya Richardson-Jackson explains how the two keep the love alive after more than four decades together. She credits having “a big heart and the Lord” as part of the reason. She also reveals they created a mantra about Black love. “I’m telling you, we were revolutionaries. We used to say the most revolutionary thing was to keep a Black family together.”
Zendaya
View this post on Instagram
Actress Zendaya is taking Hollywood by storm with her incredible acting chops and just overall good vibes. The “Euphoria” actress is adored by fans of all backgrounds, but that doesn’t stop her from calling out a problem when she sees it.
At the 2020 Beautycon Festival in NYC, Zendaya sat down to discuss colorism and representation in the Hollywood industry.
View this post on Instagram
“As a Black woman, as a light-skinned Black woman, it’s important that I say ‘Listen, I’m using my privilege, my platform to show you how much beauty there is in the African-American community.'” she said. “I am Hollywood’s, I guess you could say, acceptable version of a Black girl and that has to change.”
And in her interview with British Vogue, she talks about her plans to help Black women become more visible in film.
“If I ever do become a filmmaker, I know that the leads of my films will always be Black women,” she said. “I gotta hurry up and figure out how to f*cking become a director, man. I’m trying, I’m learning every day, I really am. There’s so much I want to do.”
Lebron James
View this post on Instagram
Lebron James is a superstar athlete and the first active NBA player to become a billionaire. But even though his basketball skills earned him the nickname “King James,” he credits his success to his wife, Savannah.
King James isn’t shy when it comes to expressing the love he has for his wife. He shouts it from the rooftops, calling her his “queen” on social media for all to see.
But his appreciation for Savannah also extends to all Black women as he regularly posts about his love and commitment to Black girls and women.
In 2020, he took to Instagram to spread the love with a post that celebrates all melanated skin tones.
View this post on Instagram
And following the murder of Breonna Taylor, he posted his support for Black women on Twitter.
The most DISRESPECTED person on earth is THE BLACK WOMAN! I promise you I’ll do my best to change this as much as I can and even more!! LOVE to you QUEENS all over this country and beyond! 👸🏽👸🏾👸🏿❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
— LeBron James (@KingJames) September 24, 2020
Jack Harlow
View this post on Instagram
Jack Harlow is an American rap artist with a massive fan following. His hit songs are played all over the radio, including “First Class,” “WHATS POPPIN” and “Dua Lipa.”
The young superstar achieved mass fame relatively quickly. And he isn’t afraid to shout out the ones who helped him get there.
In an interview with Teen Vogue, Harlow talked about his journey, crediting Black women for being a big part of his success.
View this post on Instagram
“They’ll never have to worry about not being credited by me.” He says. “I mean, I look out at my shows and I see them. It’s one thing when you see the memes and you hear people talking about it, but it’s another when you travel the country and you see them all over the place. I love Black women. I’ve loved Black women my whole life.”
Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar isn’t just a rapper, he’s a modern revolutionary. But he’s not new to it, he’s true to it. Nearly his entire discography is a love letter to his community. From writing hit songs like “Alright” and “The Blacker The Berry” to creating an album for Marvel’s blockbuster movie “Black Panther,” Lamar is a heavy influence on the culture.
K.Dot champions his people everywhere he goes — in interviews, on social media, and especially in his music. And he gave a special shoutout to Black women is his song with Dr. Dre called “The Recipe.”
Pointing to his appreciation for darker skin tones, he raps “And yeah my type, I like ’em brown, just like my drink, the f*** you think?”
Plus, in his song “Complexion,” he celebrates dark-skinned Black women, highlighting the colorism they often face. He raps,
“Dark as the midnight hour or bright as the mornin’ sun/Give a f*** about your complexion, I know what the Germans done.”
And of course, who can forget the time he celebrated Black women with natural hair in his popular song “HUMBLE.,” saying “Show me something natural like afro on Richard Pryor.”