Project by Zeba Blay
April 29, 2021
Culture
Shifters
MMXXI
For the past year, the pandemic has touched each of our lives in so many ways, whether we’ve lost loved ones, battled the virus on our own or been forced to rethink the way we live our lives and interact with others.
However, we were all reminded, once again, that to see change in America — toward equity and inclusion, toward freedom and justice for all — we’d have to radically reimagine the industries that affect our everyday lives. Enter Culture Shifters 2021, HuffPost’s annual list of artists, activists, entertainers and entrepreneurs who are shaping today’s culture — and changing the way we think about the world around us.
Activist Emily Barker is fighting for a world where people with disabilities are not an afterthought in the quest for
The photographer approaches his work with a supreme level of care and intentionality. He wants to ensure that
Black people are celebrated for their beauty and acknowledged for their
impact on our past and present, and for others to see that they’re not just spectators in the art world, but intrinsic to its success.
Written by Erin E. Evans; Interviewed by Zeba Blay;
Photography by Guarionex Rodriguez Jr
Joshua Kissi
Written by Matthew Jacobs; Photography by Gioncarlo Valentine
Da'vine Joy Randolph’s profile has been rising ever since she stole scenes from Eddie Murphy in 2019’s “Dolemite Is My Name.” And the comedian is emerging as one of Hollywood’s funniest talents, having appeared in the ABC sitcom “Selfie,” the kooky Showtime gem “On Becoming a God in Central Florida,” Miranda July’s “Kajillionaire” and Hulu’s “High Fidelity.”
Da’Vine Joy Randolph
inclusion. Photographer Joshua Kissi is making sure we see
art — and the world — through new perspectives. On social media, Tessa Forrest, Emilia Ortiz, Alok V. Menon and Isaias Hernandez have cultivated audiences who seek avenues of self-care, ways to save the environment and lessons on gender identity and racial inclusion. And even when the world seemed too violent, too exhausting, too broken, actors Bowen Yang, Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Jermaine Fowler made sure to keep us laughing, even through the pain.
In these 19 profiles, you’ll find outspoken leaders who are doing the work to make change, adding levity to our day-to-day lives and inspiring others to do the same. See below for a quick look at the list and read more about their work within each profile.
Written by Marina Fang; Photography by Justin J Wee
Zenat Begum opened Playground Coffee Shop in Brooklyn with the goal of making it a community-oriented space to center and empower the shop’s Black and brown neighbors. For Begum, Playground’s worker- and community-centered operation allows for greater agency and control in a system where Black and brown people are so often given little agency and control.
Zenat Begum
Written by Emma Gray; Photography by Stephanie Mei-Ling
The graphic designer created Subliming.jpg, an Instagram-based project where Tessa Forrest takes quotes and spiritual teachings and remakes them into bold, beautiful, typographical posts. What began as a personal project in early 2016 to cope with a maelstrom of trauma has ballooned into a way to connect to the world through art.
Tessa Forrest
Written by Philip Lewis; Photography by Tracy Nguyen
Today, Kevin Fredericks’ platform has grown from making funny YouTube videos with his friends to an authentic media empire. With his star only growing brighter, the comedian said he wants to continue to use his platform to open doors for new, diverse talent.
KevOnStage
Written by Claire Fallon; Photography by Tara Pixley
In the course of a career largely devoted to women’s sexual and reproductive health care, Erica Chidi has been a health educator, a doula, an advocate for reproductive justice for Black and incarcerated women and a startup founder. One thing has been consistent: She wants women — especially Black women — to understand their bodies, and to be understood.
Erica Chidi
Written by Emily Gutierrez; Photography by Emilia Ortiz
Emilia Ortiz provides avenues for
self-care for la gente. She has amassed more than 200,000 followers on Instagram, where the assemblages of her Afro-Puerto Rican lineage, no-bullshit delivery and brujeria create a space where she openly explores themes like mental health, sexuality and grassroots activism.
Emilia Ortiz
Written by Ivana Fischer; Photography by Annie Flanagan
Mariah Moore’s compassion for trans women and their shared struggles radiates through her words and her actions. The New Orleans-based activist uses her political savvy and devotion to fellow community members to fight against anti-trans legislation in her city.
Mariah Moore
Written by Candice Frederick; Photography by Nolwen Cifuentes
The TV writer’s work is not only
thought-provoking but defiant. From the spiritually ambiguous quartet on “The Good Place” and the morally compromised heirs of “Succession,” to the sociopolitical torment of masked vigilantes on “Watchmen” and the quandaries of an Indian American man on “Master of None,” he challenges audiences to think beyond the worlds they know.
Cord Jefferson
Written by Serena Daniari; Photography by Heather Sten
Céline Semaan-Vernon is sparking radical environmental justice reform through, perhaps, an unlikely lens. At present, they are the co-founder and creative director of the Slow Factory Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on generating climate change solutions and systemic change for
social and environmental justice through fashion.
Céline
Semaan-Vernon
Written by Tanaïs; Photography by Celeste Sloman
Alok Vaid-Menon works as a continual advocate and organizer to raise funds for social justice campaigns, often centered on the livelihoods of trans folks of color. They have modeled for numerous brands and magazines, flexing their exquisite sense of fashion and vivid, unapologetic embodiment of femme.
Alok Vaid-Menon
Written by Emily Gutierrez; Photography by Gioncarlo Valentine
With @QueerBrownVegan on Instagram,
Isaias Hernandez is guiding his followers toward a path of less food waste and more solutions to injustice. Found among Hernandez’s posts about environmentalism and sustainability is a radical acceptance of self and a gentle encouragement for for all of us to love ourselves, too.
Isaias Hernandez
Written by Erin E. Evans; Photography by Tracy Nguyen
To put it simply, Jasmyn Lawson has been the ultimate cheerleader for amplifying Black creators and their work at Netflix — and ensuring that Black audiences are getting as much out of TV and internet culture as they have put into it.
Jasmyn Lawson
Written by Taryn Finley; Photography by Erik Carter
Jermaine Fowler is telling his truth and baring it all in his quest to dominate Hollywood. He has appeared alongside comedic greats like Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall. With his next career moves, his goal is to never get complacent and to help inspire the next generation of talent.
Jermaine Fowler
Written by Wendy lu; Photography by Erik Carter
The Los Angeles-based model is building a career around making art and advocating for people with disabilities. On social media, they regularly call attention to the discrimination and mistreatment of disabled people — whether it’s inaccessible public transportation or the health care rationing that has restricted disabled people’s access to treatments during the pandemic.
Emily Barker
Written by Erin E. Evans; Photography by Erik Carter
Last spring, Janaya Future Khan started hosting widely viewed Instagram Live sessions titled Sunday Sermons. In these weekly livestreams, served to more than 270,000 followers, Khan gives insightful breakdowns on timely political and pop culture conversations.
Janaya Future Khan
Written by Erin E. Evans; Photography by Tracy Nguyen
The Los Angeles-based artist has been dissecting algorithm bias on social media, and she wants users — especially Black and brown people — to reclaim their space online.
Mandy Harris Williams
Written by Matthew Jacobs;
Photography by Justin J Wee
With Bowen Yang’s rise on “Saturday Night Live,” the cheeky, rapid-fire, exceedingly pop-culture-literate intuition of comics in their 20s and early 30s can no longer be seen as an outlier. It is the moment and, perhaps, the future.
Bowen Yang
Written by Leigh Blickley; Photography by Nolwen Cifuentes
In 2020, Sydney Freeland wrote a pilot script for “Sovereign,” a TV drama chronicling the lives of an Indigenous family struggling to control the future of their tribe. The Navajo filmmaker and writer has been working on several TV series — hoping to create new narratives around Indigenous experiences.
Sydney Freeland
Read more here
Credits
Project Creator
Project Manager & Editor
Creative Director
Photo Director
Art Director & Multimedia Designer
Senior Photo Editor
Reporters
Copy Editors
Photographers
Audience
Animator
For the past year, the pandemic has touched each of our lives in so many ways, whether we’ve lost loved ones, battled the virus on our own or been forced to rethink the way we live our lives and interact with others.
We were all reminded, once again, that to see change in America — toward equity and inclusion, toward freedom and justice for all — we’d have to radically reimagine the industries that affect our everyday lives. Enter Culture Shifters 2021, HuffPost’s annual list of artists, activists, entertainers and entrepreneurs who are shaping today’s culture — and changing the way we think about the world around us.
In these 19 profiles, you’ll find outspoken leaders who are doing the work to make change, adding levity to our day-to-day lives and inspiring others to do the same. See below for a quick look at the list and read more about their work within each profile.
Read more here
Read more here
Read more here
Read more here
Read more here
Read more here
Read more here
Read more here
Read more here
Read more here
Read more here
Read more here
Read more here
Read more here
Read more here
Read more here
Read more here
Read more here
Zeba Blay
Erin E. Evans
Ivylise Simones
Christy Havranek
Isabella Carapella
Damon Scheleur
Zeba Blay, Leigh Blickley, Serena Daniari, Erin E. Evans, Claire Fallon, Marina Fang,
Taryn Finley, Ivana Fischer, Candice Frederick, Emma Gray, Emily Gutierrez,
Matthew Jacobs, Philip Lewis, Wendy Lu, Tanaïs
Sara Bondioli, Jillian Capewell, Don Frederick, Mark Lebetkin, Wendy Lu,Bobbi Olson,
Ani Vrabel
Erik Carter, Nolwen Cifuentes, Annie Flanagan, Stephanie Mei-Ling, Tracy Nguyen,
Tara Pixley, Guarionex Rodriguez Jr., Celeste Sloman, Heather Sten, Gioncarlo Valentine, Justin J Wee
Cambria Roth, Abby Williams
BlinkMyBrain
Culture SHIFTERS MMXXI
Bowen
Yang
Written by Erin E. Evans
Interviewed by Zeba Blay
Photography by Guarionex
Rodriguez Jr
The photographer approaches his work with a supreme level of care and intentionality. He wants to ensure that Black people are celebrated for their beauty and acknowledged for their impact on our past and present, and for others to see that they’re not just spectators in the art world, but intrinsic to its success.
Joshua
Kissi
Read more here
Written by Leigh Blickley
Photography by Nolwen Cifuentes
In 2020, Sydney Freeland wrote a pilot script for “Sovereign,” a TV drama chronicling the lives of an Indigenous family struggling to control the future of their tribe. The Navajo filmmaker and writer has been working on several TV series — hoping to create new narratives around Indigenous experiences.
Sydney
Freeland
Read more here
Written by Matthew Jacobs
Photography by Gioncarlo
Valentine
Da'vine Joy Randolph’s profile has been rising ever since she stole scenes from Eddie Murphy in 2019’s “Dolemite Is My Name.” And the comedian is emerging as one of Hollywood’s funniest talents, having appeared in the ABC sitcom “Selfie,” the kooky Showtime gem “On Becoming a God in Central Florida,” Miranda July’s “Kajillionaire” and Hulu’s “High Fidelity.”
Da'Vine Joy
Randolph
Read more here
Written by Marina Fang
Photography by Justin J Wee
Zenat Begum opened Playground Coffee Shop in Brooklyn with the goal of making it a community-oriented space to center and empower the shop’s Black and brown neighbors. For Begum, Playground’s worker- and community-centered operation allows for greater agency and control in a system where Black and brown people are so often given little agency and control.
Zenat
Begum
Read more here
Written by Emma Gray
Photography by Stephanie Mei-Ling
The graphic designer created Subliming.jpg, an Instagram-based project where Tessa Forrest takes quotes and spiritual teachings and remakes them into bold, beautiful, typographical posts. What began as a personal project in early 2016 to cope with a maelstrom of trauma has ballooned into a way to connect to the world through art.
Tessa
Forrest
Read more here
Written by Philip Lewis
Photography by Tracy Nguyen
Today, Kevin Fredericks’ platform has grown from making funny YouTube videos with his friends to an authentic media empire. With his star only growing brighter, the comedian said he wants to continue to use his platform to open doors for new, diverse talent.
KevOnStage
Read more here
Written by Claire Fallon
Photography by Tara Pixley
In the course of a career largely devoted to women’s sexual and reproductive health care, Erica Chidi has been a health educator, a doula, an advocate for reproductive justice for Black and incarcerated women and a startup founder. One thing has been consistent: She wants women — especially Black women — to understand their bodies, and to be understood.
Erica Chidi
Read more here
Written by Emily Gutierrez
Photography by Emilia Ortiz
Emilia Ortiz provides avenues for
self-care for la gente. She has amassed more than 200,000 followers on Instagram, where the assemblages of her Afro-Puerto Rican lineage, no-bullshit delivery and brujeria create a space where she openly explores themes like mental health, sexuality and grassroots activism.
Emilia
Ortiz
Read more here
Written by Ivana Fischer
Photography by Annie Flanagan
Mariah Moore’s compassion for trans women and their shared struggles radiates through her words and her actions. The New Orleans-based activist uses her political savvy and devotion to fellow community members to fight against anti-trans legislation in her city.
Mariah
Moore
Read more here
Written by Candice Frederick
Photography by Nolwen Cifuentes
The TV writer’s work is not only
thought-provoking but defiant. From the spiritually ambiguous quartet on “The Good Place”
and the morally compromised heirs of “Succession,” to the sociopolitical torment of masked vigilantes on “Watchmen” and the quandaries of an Indian American man on “Master of None,” he challenges audiences to think beyond the worlds
they know.
Cord Jefferson
Read more here
Written by Serena Daniari
Photography by Heather Sten
Céline Semaan-Vernon is sparking radical environmental justice reform through, perhaps, an unlikely lens. At present, they are the co-founder and creative director of the Slow Factory Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on generating climate change solutions and systemic change for social and environmental justice through fashion.
Céline
Semaan-Vernon
Read more here
Written by Tanaïs
Photography by Celeste Sloman
Alok Vaid-Menon works as a continual advocate and organizer to raise funds for social justice campaigns, often centered on the livelihoods of trans folks of color. They have modeled for numerous brands and magazines, flexing their
exquisite sense of fashion and vivid, unapologetic embodiment of femme.
Alok
Vaid-Menon
Read more here
Written by Emily Gutierrez
Photography by Gioncarlo Valentine
With @QueerBrownVegan on Instagram,
Isaias Hernandez is guiding his followers toward a path of less food waste and more solutions to injustice. Found among Hernandez’s posts about environmentalism and sustainability is a radical acceptance of self and a gentle encouragement for for all of us to love ourselves, too.
Isaias
Hernandez
Read more here
Written by Erin E. Evans
Photography by Tracy Nguyen
To put it simply, Jasmyn Lawson has been the ultimate cheerleader for amplifying Black creators and their work at Netflix — and ensuring that Black audiences are getting as much out of TV and internet culture as they have put into it.
Jasmyn
Lawson
Read more here
Written by Taryn Finley
Photography by Erik Carter
Jermaine Fowler is telling his truth and baring it all in his quest to dominate Hollywood. He has appeared alongside comedic greats like Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall. With his next career moves, his goal is to never get complacent and to help inspire the next generation
of talent.
Jermaine
Fowler
Read more here
Written by Wendy lu
Photography by Erik Carter
The Los Angeles-based model is building a career around making art and advocating for people with disabilities. On social media, they regularly call attention to the discrimination and mistreatment of disabled people — whether it’s inaccessible public transportation or the health care rationing that has restricted disabled people’s access to treatments during the pandemic.
Emily
Barker
Read more here
Written by Wendy lu
Photography by Erik Carter
Last spring, Janaya Future Khan started hosting widely viewed Instagram Live sessions titled Sunday Sermons. In these weekly livestreams, served to more than 270,000 followers, Khan gives insightful breakdowns on
timely political and pop
culture conversations.
Janaya Future Khan
Read more here
Written by Erin E. Evan
Photography by Tracy Nguyen
The Los Angeles-based artist has been dissecting algorithm bias on social media, and she wants users — especially Black and brown people — to reclaim their
space online.
Mandy Harris Williams
Read more here
Project Creator
Project Manager & Editor
Creative Director
Photo Director
Art Director & Multimedia Designer
Senior Photo Editor
Reporters
Copy Editors
Photographers
Audience
Animator
Zeba Blay
Erin E. Evans
Ivylise Simones
Christy Havranek
Isabella Carapella
Damon Scheleur
Zeba Blay, Leigh Blickley, Serena Daniari, Erin E. Evans, Claire Fallon, Marina Fang,
Taryn Finley, Ivana Fischer, Candice Frederick, Emma Gray, Emily Gutierrez,
Matthew Jacobs, Philip Lewis, Wendy Lu, Tanaïs
Sara Bondioli, Jillian Capewell, Don Frederick, Mark Lebetkin, Wendy Lu,
Bobbi Olson, Ani Vrabel
Erik Carter, Nolwen Cifuentes, Annie Flanagan, Stephanie Mei-Ling, Tracy Nguyen,
Tara Pixley, Guarionex Rodriguez Jr., Celeste Sloman, Heather Sten,
Gioncarlo Valentine, Justin J Wee
Cambria Roth, Abby Williams
BlinkMyBrain