15 celebrities who got political in 2017

LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 21: Debbie Allen (L) and Kerry Washington attend the women’s march in Los Angeles on January 21, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)

Kerry Washington

Coming off the heels of the Women’s March, Kerry Washington hit the red carpet of the 23rd Annual Screen Actors Guild with a new kind of accessory that made more than just fashion statement — a safety pin on the sleeve of her white gown. She explained on Instagram, “I’ll be wearing one of these tonight. On my arm. To show solidarity. We will not stop fighting for our safety & the safety of our fellow citizens and human beings. #NoBanNoWall #safetypin.” Alone, it could be seen as a trendy and empty gesture, as some people accused. But the Scandal actress more than backs it up, consistently using her platform to discuss timely political matters and raise awareness across mediums and publications, including The View, Glamour and the SAG Awards (again), to name a few.

LOS ANGELES, CA – JUNE 03: Presenter Zendaya speaks onstage at the 16th Annual Chrysalis Butterfly Ball on June 3, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Chrysalis Butterfly Ball)

Zendaya

Not only did Kerry Washington get political this year — she and Shonda Rhimes also helped Zendaya land on this list. “I think honestly what got me interested in politics, I’m not even going to lie, is Scandal,” the Disney star told TIME magazine in 2015. She’s come a long way from her television-education, regularly speaking on subjects many of fellow Disney-alums tend to avoid, like police brutality and domestic terrorism.

A day after the violence that consumed Charlottesville, Zendaya accepted her Teen Choice Summer Movie Actress award with a wake-up call to the young people in the audience. “With all the injustice and the hatred and everything that is happening not only in the world but in our country,” she said, “I need for you guys to be educated, I need you to listen, I need you to pay attention. I need you to go ahead and understand that you have a voice and it’s OK to use it when you see something bad happening.”

Olivia Pope couldn’t have said it better herself.