By Trisha Bala ’22, Arts and Entertainment Writer

In our society today, one thing that unites all women from around the world is the fight for feminism. No matter the age, race, or gender, women everywhere are actively fighting for equal rights and equal treatment. A lot of young girls feel empowered to fight for this cause because of popular artists who are singing and talking about it today. Musicians and other artists have a large influence on many young girls because of their wide platform. Many female musicians and celebrities have been expressing their views and personal thoughts on the fight for women’s empowerment on their social media and in their songs. Two of these personalities include Ariana Grande and Meghan Markle.

Ariana Grande has over 100 million social media followers and she recently released a new album. Ariana is a very outspoken feminist who has expressed her views on multiple occasions. She has taken to her Twitter platform multiple times to talk about her disgust at the double standards placed on men and women.  She has said that feminism means “freedom” and “choice” and has posted an essay about what all women should feel like. She has multiple albums where she references feminism many times. Ariana has many young, impressionable fans she has influenced with her music. In Ariana’s most recent album, Sweetener, there is a song called “God is a woman.” The song has been called a “female power anthem” and  “anthem of female empowerment.” Another song where Ariana references women’s equality is the song “no tears left to cry.” Ariana shows women that they are important and how to pick themselves up after hardship. Ariana has no shame in sharing her thoughts and is one of the biggest female role models.

Another important artist that has expressed her view is Meghan Markle. Meghan Markle, a former actress, is now a part of one of the most famous families in the world. She has a platform that can influence and send a message to just about anyone. Before Meghan became a part of the royal family, she was a lead on the hit TV show “Suits,” and a UN women’s advocate for participation and leadership. Meghan has been very vocal about her feminism, and has given multiple speeches at United Nations conferences about women’s equality and has influenced a vast variety of people. On the British Royal Family’s website, Meghan’s says: “I am proud to be a woman and a feminist.” Beginning when she was a young child, Meghan has fought for equal rights. When she was 11 years old, Meghan called up a company who had made a sexist commercial and fought for them to change the commercial to something that wasn’t offensive. Much of Meghan’s life is lived in the spotlight, so the things that she believes and vocalizes can inspire and impact many people.

These two women are a small percentage of the many out there who are influencing people by vocalizing their ideas through their work. Meghan Markle and Ariana Grande are fantastic examples of artists who spread ideas through their work and influence many.

These two women are great examples of the many people who inspire our Newark Academy community. At NA, we have many talented artists who are starting to express thoughts/ideas in their artwork, songs, dances, and much more. The more artists that express views and ideas through their work, the more this influences our NA community into expressing our own views and ideas.