One month after her powerful, impromptu speech at a Black Lives Matter march in downtown Los Angeles in June, Little Fires Everywhere star Lexi Underwood is launching a new initiative centering Gen Z voices committed to racial justice.
Called “We The Voices of Gen Z - All Black Lives Matter,” the new series features a panel of actors, activists, and experts all reflecting on the Black Lives Matter movement and anti-racism activism. The first season features five episodes and focuses on everything from mental health to the difference between saviorism and solidarity. Lexi moderates a panel featuring fellow actors Eris Baker, Marquis Rodriguez, and Ben Levi Ross; activists Mari Copeny, Marley Dias, and Chanice McLover-Lee; Black Lives Matter Toronto co-founder Janaya Future Khan, writer and activist Ashlee Marie Preston; and therapist Naima Calvillo. They check in with one another, reflect on the uprising against anti-Blackness in the United States, and forge a path forward as activists and allies in their own rights.
When she announced the project, Lexi called the series “a passion project that was the first concept created 2 years ago under my production company Ultimate Dreamer Productions,” and reflected on her ultimate hopes for the panel’s utility. “We the Voices of Gen Z is a documented round table of Gen Z voices, from diverse backgrounds, discussing social and political issues,” she said in an Instagram caption alongside the first episode. “The goal is to spark peer dialogue, encourage action, and create sustainable solutions that support our collective right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all Americans regardless of race, color, socio-economic status, religion, gender, age, or sexual orientation.”
All five episodes are currently available on We the Voices of Gen Z’s YouTube channel, and each comes in at around 20 minutes or less. The series also features an original song from singer/songwriter Reed Shannon, called “Black Bodies.”
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In an Instagram Story, Marquis said the “conversation blew. my. mind,” and added, “It was an absolute blessing to be a part of it and to be able to sit and listen to so many Black voices that are experts in their fields.”
The series comes after Lexi took the mic at a protest decrying anti-Blackness and police brutality. “There is so much trauma behind being only a child and seeing us countlessly be beaten and murdered in these streets by people who are supposed to protect and serve us,” she said at the Los Angeles protest, in a speech that quickly went viral. “Do you understand what that feels like? I don’t know if I am next. I don’t know if my mother is next. I don’t know if my friends are next. I don’t know if my cousins are next. I don’t know if my friends are next.”
Lexi later reflected on her speech, which she said “wasn’t planned.” On social media, she explained, “I’m not going to lie, I was nervous” to address thousands of peers and allies, but she was “so glad” she used her voice to speak her truth. She’s keeping that momentum going with We The Voices of Gen Z, and using her platform to support other voices, too.
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Want more from Teen Vogue? Check this out: "Little Fires Everywhere" Star Lexi Underwood Gave a Powerful Speech at a BLM March
