These celeb political activists inspire us all to be better people

Celebrities are inspiring us by stepping up and speaking out more these days, and some are even becoming political activists.

Celebrities used to be viewed primarily as star-shimmering entities, earning fame for their acting, singing, or dancing skills and heating up the spotlight by looking stunning on the red carpet. Increasingly,  however, celebrities are discovering that they can use their fame to make a difference, with some celebs becoming political activists in their focus on changing the world.

Meet the celebrities who recently have inspired us with their political activism.

Emma Watson

Harry Potter star Emma Watson first inspired us with her political activism when she took the podium at the United Nations, for which she is a Goodwill Ambassador. In her now-famous HeForShe speech, Watson urged the world to “stop defining each other by what we are not, and start defining ourselves by what we are, [so that] we can all be freer, and this is what HeForShe is about.”

Emma served as Vogue‘s guest editor in March 2018, turning the spotlight on the importance of giving previously “silenced voices” the opportunity to speak out. Watson, who teamed up with other women in Hollywood in the #TimesUp movement, inspired her fans by pointing out that a “small change can make a huge difference.”

Katy Perry

Singer Katy Perry credited the last election as the wake-up call she needed to craft what she dubbed “Purposeful Pop.”

Perry’s single, “Chained to the Rhythm,” is her anthem, a call to action that challenges those who are “so comfortable we’re living in a bubble, bubble/ so comfortable we cannot see the trouble, trouble.” In addition to sending out her message with her music as the medium, Katy has used Twitter to urge her KatyCat fans to get political as well.

Olivia Wilde

Olivia Wilde is proof that beauty products can be politicized. Wilde partnered with independent beauty brand True Botanicals after seeking cosmetics that were “effective and non-toxic and sustainable.”  Olivia told Refinery 29 that she was “thoughtful” in deciding how to use the power that resides in fame:

"I wanted, in the beauty world, to represent something that was going to move forward… When people understand they have the ability to choose something that’s a lot healthier for themselves, the environment, and that also works, that they won’t go back. Then people will demand higher standards and the larger companies will have to respond to that."

Wilde points out that it’s important to make a conscious choice in where to spend money on products such as cosmetics because “it always goes back to politics: Your dollar is your vote.”

George and Amal Clooney

When George Clooney wed Amal, it was more than a marriage of two beautiful people. It also was the coming together of two political activists. The couple recently supported the Stoneman Douglas High School survivors of the horrific mass shooting by pledging $500,000 and participating in the March For Our Lives event held in Washington, D.C.

Clooney shared that he and Amal donated the money in the name of their twins, Ella and Alexander, adding that “our children’s lives depend on it.”

Related Story: Time announces the 25 most influential people on the Internet, from Rihanna to BTS

Which celebrity inspires you when it comes to his or her political activism? Share your views in our comments section.