The Sunday News
Peter Matika, Senior Life Reporter
ZIMBABWE-BORN US-based actress Danai Gurira was recently awarded for her role on American TV channel AMC’s smash sci-fi thriller series The Walking Dead.
Her role in the epic series, where she plays the role of a sword brandishing black woman was celebrated by BET’s annual Black Girls Rock event.
The event was held about a fortnight ago.
Playing the dreadlocked, sword-wielding Michonne on the zombie-focused serial drama, Danai has certainly helped open up the world of comic books and horror to women of colour.
But her accomplishments go far beyond TV, as she is also a star of the silver screen, a playwright, and accomplished stage performer, Gurira was awarded the Star Power Award, which was bestowed upon her during the Black Girls Rock edition last week.
In celebration of the achievement, she was asked to speak about her experiences throughout her life and career, which have drawn her to the characters she has played and the ones she has created.
“A character, for me, has to challenge me. Has to be stepping into something that is going to challenge me but also its kind of scary,” she said while giving a speech at the event.
Last year, Academy Award-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o starred in Danai’s play Eclipsed, which takes place in Liberia, Africa and explores the issues of enslavement, sex trafficking and war.
While they may seem wildly different in setting and tone, Danai affirmed that there are many similarities between Michonne and Nyong’o’s character in the play.
Danai’s experience with learning about the complexities of issues facing Africans was also enriched in 2013, when she starred in Mother of George, a film centred on a Nigerian couple living in America.
“I realised there was a parallel between (Michonne) in this zombie apocalypse and these women I came across in these war zones,” she said.
Naturally, her own personal experiences as a first-generation American and child of African immigrants has given her an acute awareness of how her people are often portrayed in the news and the media, which she said spurred her on to “show the multi-dimensionality of Africans and African women” in her own work.
Regardless of the perceptions of others, however, Danai said the most important thing she could tell other women was not to be led by fear,” she said at the end of her speech, stating: “I am a black girl who rocks.”
Meanwhile, celebrity reporter and blogger the vivacious Makhosazana Ndlovu, warmly known as Makho relished her BET Red Carpet experiences from 2014.
She posted on her blog before the event: “My name is Makho Ndlovu and I am a black *ahem* African girl who ROCKS! I look forward to attending the Black Girls Rock award show every single year so this news makes my heart flutter.
“At last year’s award show, I was just a stone’s throw away from FLOTUS Michelle Obama and I almost lost my mind when she proudly proclaimed Black Girls Rock onstage. It was such a great moment. So you understand my excitement at the Black Girls Rock franchise heading to Africa right?”
After the event she said this year’s event was her favourite.
“Out of all the red carpet events I attend in New York & LA, Black Girls Rock is my absolute FAVOURITE to cover.
Why? Well let me count the ways:
1 As a red carpet correspondent, getting celebs to stop and talk is no easy task. I have to yell and scream to grab their attention, sometimes to no avail. The job is fun but it’s not as glamorous as it looks. But at Black Girls Rock mostly all the stars make time to chat and give great interviews. It makes my job that much easier!
2 The energy in the entire place is just electric! Imagine a room filled with just amazing, powerful and dynamic black women. It’s all about #BlackGirlMagic at this event. This year, I was blessed to get to soak up words of wisdom from the honourees and special guests at the show. Wait until you all hear the speeches, they ROCKED! I also can’t wait to share the interviews.
3 Black Girls Rock is such an important show. In a world that constantly tells black girls that they are not enough, this show reaffirms our girls in the best way possible. Reminding them of their excellence, ingenuity, strength and beauty.
It’s a show that everyone in the family can watch together and get INSPIRED to reach for more.
It’s such a POWERFUL show!”
