Dark Skinned Actresses Who Deserve To Be On The Big Screen as Well

The upcoming movie The Hate U Give premiered it’s first  trailer during the BET awards on June 28. ​

The Hate U Give film is based on the best selling novel by Audrey Wells and describes it’s lead character, Starr as a dark skinned young black woman with an afro, who in the film trailer is played by Amandla Stenberg. 

Amandla Stenberg, a biracial light skin actress does not match this description. This comes as a surprise to fans of the actress as she previously spoke about Hollywood’s issue with casting women of a darker complexion announcing that she rejected a role in Black Panther as a result of wanting a dark skin black actress to have the opportunity to offer representation to young black women. 

This is not the first time that Hollywood has casted a lighter skinned black woman to play the role of a woman who is of darker skin. In 2016, Zoe Saldanawas casted to play  Nina Simone. There’s also the role Marvel’s Storm who is depicted in several comic books as having dark skin portrayed by Halle Berry. It is clear that we have a long way to go until we reach proper representation for all black women.

It didn’t take long for fans of The Hate U Give  to take to social media to express their thoughts on Hollywood’s issue with colorism. Many agreed that lighter skinned actresses are often offered more roles in television and film and as a result easy to name. In an attempt to stop end this overused excuse, here is my*  list of young dark skinned black actresses that both you and Hollywood should know.

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Skai
​Jackson (16) 

Skai is most known for her role as a sassy little sister named Zuri on Disney Channel’s Jessie and it’s spinoff Bunk’d. Like her character Zuri, offscreen Skai is also strong and always stands up for herself. She previously went viral for clapping back at rapper Azelia Banks on Twitter.

Photo Courtesy of Skai Jackson's Instagram:
​ ​https://www.instagram.com/p/BjiAuvvlvwg/?hl=en&taken-by=skaijackson

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Riele
Downs (16) 

Riele Downs is a Canadian actresses most known for playing Charlotte on Nickelodeon’s Henry Danger. When she is not on screen Riele likes to design her own clothes and often wears her own creations on the red carpet.

Photo Courtesy of Riele's Instagram:
​ https://www.instagram.com/p/BX8skKMFyk9/?hl=en&taken-by=rieledowns

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Jessica
​Williams (28)

Jessica Williams is a comedian and actresses who was previously a correspondent on The Daily Show. More recently she also starred in a Netflix movie called The Incredible Jessica Jones. Later this year Williams will star in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald as Professor Eulalie “Lally” Hicks. 

Photo Courtesy of Jessica William's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/BeVz6-DjPTi/?hl=en&taken-by=msjwilly

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Priah
​Ferguson (11)

Last season of Stranger Things Priah stole our hearts as Erica Sinclair, Lucas’s little sister and queen of shade. 

Photo Courtesy of Priah Ferguson's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh65VkRBMTv/?hl=en&taken-by=priahferguson

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Trinitee
​Stokes (12)

Trinitee is most known for portraying Zendaya’s robot crime fighting little sister Judy on Disney Channel’s KC Undercover. Recently Trinitee stepped away from the screen and released a book called Bold and Blessed. With her book she aims to give girls like her advice on issues like rejection and learning to love yourself. 

Photo Courtesy of Trinitee Stokes' Instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/Bk_il7CAE-s/?hl=en&taken-by=the_trinitee

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Birgundi
​Baker (26) 

You may have seen Birgundi starring alongside Jacob Latimore as his girlfriend Keisha in Showtime’s hit series The Chi. She also stars as Lizzy on the Heathers reboot on TV land. 

Photo Courtesy of Birgundi Baker's Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/p/BL_kyeMD0ac/?hl=en&taken-by=birgundi_baker

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Ashleigh
​Murray (30)

Ashleigh Murray plays Josie the lead singer of Josie And The Pussycats on the CW’S Riverdale. She also recently starred in a Netflix movie called Deidra and Laney Rob A Train. Offscreen she is a true style icon who is named on the best dressed list of every red carpet event she attends.

Photo Courtesy of Ashleigh Murray's Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/p/BiODo5pBGax/?hl=en&taken-by=iamamurray

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Lyric Ross (15)

Lyric Ross is most recently broke our hearts on This Is Us as Deja, Randall and Beth’s foster daughter.

Photo Courtesy of Lyric Ross' Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/p/BjgOL3bh0Rq/?hl=en&taken-by=lyric__nicole

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Written By: Nah'Ja Washington

My name is Nah’Ja Washington and I am a Writing Arts and Advertising Major at Rowan University in Glassboro New Jersey. In my free time I love to write and watch a lot of drama filled tv.