Estelle
Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and voice of Garnet on the animated television series Steven Universe
Blackness in the future looks like ownership in all areas of industry. The Black community's level of investment in itself right now is growing at an incredible rate and there’s been more pressure applied to keep it that way.
I see this continuing as we invest in ourselves, our ideas, our businesses and our future leaders. Part of that is owning our stories. There weren’t really many Black leads starring in cartoons when I was growing up. I used to see Black leads more-so in films like Tamara Dobson’s "Cleopatra Jones" films, Pam Grier’s movies, and Diahann Carroll films. Those had a lasting effect on me. They were comfortable in their skin, looked like me and took no shit. Even when being vulnerable, they were powerful.
That’s how Garnet is.
I don’t take the role lightly. I’m happy and proud to be a part of something that is so helpful to another human. In the same way that music is helpful to me.
Shows like Steven Universe that have Black women playing lead voice-over positions are important because history has shown that media sometimes has a way of erasing Black people from the narrative, especially when it comes to depicting us as successful, heroic or forward-thinking. We’re often depicted as less than and the images rarely speak to our greatness.
Even though our history shows otherwise.
We have excelled despite the devastating parts of our history, a lot of which occured in the last few hundred years and even the last few years. We have always been, and continue to be, awesome regardless.
Estelle's Revolutionary Picks:
Mary Seacole, was someone my parents taught me about. She was a nurse from the Caribbean that helped out British Forces and did as great a work as Florence Nightingale. Yet we only ever hear about Nightingale.
Today, there's Deray Mckesson, Angela Rye & Tamika Mallory - activists that are working to make sure we stay aware and ready and feel loved and a part of the world.