Today we’re going to look at 13 black actresses under 30 years old.

These women are talented, beautiful, and smart. The influence their individual careers have brought to showbiz is remarkable.

You’ll probably know a few of these Nubian queens and have seen some of their films. What you may not know, however, are the lessons you can take home from their careers.

Ready to be schooled on the best black female actresses under 30? Class is in session!

Lauren Keyana ” Keke ” Palmer, A Black Actress Under 30

If Keke doesn’t toot her own horn, we’ll do it for her. This fiery, vibrant female received her television debut at age 11 as Queen Latifah’s niece in Barbershop 2: Back in Business. When she’s not spelling tongue-twisting words in Akeelah and the Bee (2006), she’s coming toe-to-toe with a bloodthirsty predator in Animal (2014).

Throughout her career, Keke has received several awards and nominations. She did score the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Motion Picture and Best Actress by the Black Reel Awards.

Keke’s acting career is a lesson in disguise for young black women. With a dedicated, committed spirit, your dreams can come to light; you must be focused and make opportunities count.

China Anne McClain

China was born into an artistic family on August 25, 1998. This comedic actress is best identified for her role in Tyler Perry’s “House of Payne” (2007).

You may also notice her as the confused teenager in CW’s Black Lightning (2018) as Jennifer. China won the NAMIC Vision Award for Best Performance – Actress of Comedy back in 2011 for her stellar performance on Tyler Perry’s House of Payne.

Though young, this multifaceted and multitalented actress shows impressive maturity and self-control. A bit feisty on the big screen, but her heart is loaded with kindness and love.  Her journey teaches women to stick to their roots, never forget where they’re coming from; family is everything.

Lauryn Alisa McClain, Young Black Actresses

Lauryn is the big sister of China McClain – a year older to be exact. You may have seen Lauryn around in films like The Gospel (2005) and A.N.T Farm (2011) with her sisters.  Additional film appearances include Daddy’s Little Girl (2007), BearCity 3, and Step UP: High Water (2018). She’s also slated to star in the upcoming Haunt by Scott Breck and Bryan Woods.

Lauryn had to overcome feelings of doubts and insecurity to bring to life her dreams. Her journey shows that confidence means forgetting about the world’s opinion of who you are. She’s a worthy model to imitate if you suffer from issues of self-worth.

Willow Smith, A Teenage African American Actresses

She’s a wild one, both in character and personal style. Willow was born to Will and Jada Pinkett Smith on October 31, 2000, in Los Angeles. Her acting career took flight when she appeared alongside her father in I Am Legend (2007).

She later voiced a character in Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008) and appeared in Kit Kittredge: An American Girl (2008).  At the age of 10, Willow launched her music career with her famous single “Whip My Hair”. She’s the youngest artist ever signed to a label.

Willows acting career teaches women to embrace their inner style; opinions don’t matter. This little ‘fireball”, as she terms herself, is making big moves despite her age. Little people can do it too.

Raven Goodwin

Raven, born June 24, 1992, kicked off her acting career with her appearance in Lovely & Amazing (2001). She gained much prominence in The Station Agent (2003), Nickelodeon’s Just Jordan (2007), Good Luck Charlie (2010), and Being Mary Jane (2013).

Raven’s journey teaches women how to be industrious. Hard work is required to make the dream a reality. Raven doesn’t believe that you need to look like everyone else to succeed. Regardless of who you are, you can create a ripple and make a difference.

Film directing is still a very white male dominated industry, with many of them producing the big blockbusters we see each year. While many of them do a good job, the director is often the ‘mind’ behind the movie and can change the way the script is interpreted by the actors. Many believe this is why having directors with different cultural experiences and backgrounds is important.

Even so-called ‘black’ movies, or movies with majority black casts, often aren’t directed by black people.

That said, there are some black women who have managed to crack the film industry and become directors – whether that’s through the big studios, or by going down the indie film route.

In this article, we’ve picked 8 of our favorites.

Comedy is, unfortunately, still pretty dominated by men, who may or may not be funny. However, if you know where to look, there are plenty of people performing out there who defy the “t-shirt and jeans” dude you expect behind the microphone. Some of the funniest of those people are the black women who have carved a niche out for themselves in comedy clubs, bars and basements all over the country. Most of the women on this list tend to perform in New York where comedy is king, but we’ve included links to their clips online so if you like what you see here, make sure you look them up!

We love African American romance novels! Sometimes there’s nothing better than reading a good book to break down boredom. But don’t you hate it when you pick one up and it’s not that great? Well, we’re here to help!

In no particular order, here are 6 African American romance books you definitely must read.

Some days, you want to watch hard-hitting Oscar-winning movies. And other days you want to keep your headscarf on, grab a pint of Ben & Jerry’s and watch a funny movie about black love.

With so many incredible black romantic comedies out there, where should you start? We’ve got you covered with some of the best.

When it comes to music, there is usually a wide range of songs to choose from. Whether it is rhythm and blues, pop, rock ‘n’ roll, soul, jazz and pop, the selection is endless.

However, there are several artists who stand the test of time and their music must be present in your music collection. Let us take a look at 12 famous black singers your collection is empty without.

Who doesn’t love Gabrielle Union?! She’s smart, beautiful, and most importantly, a wonderful actress. She has a huge range, having played everything from ambitious undercover cops, to cutthroat cheerleaders. We especially love her in rom-com movies, but she’s been killing it on television, too. Feel like a Gabby fix? Here are our top 5 Gabrielle Union movies.

African American romance novels are a hot genre, and no two novels are the same.

You can read about billionaires who get arranged marriages in order to keep their inheritance, or tour guides getting trapped in caves, or fractured families coming together after a bitter divorce, or pastors losing and then regaining their faith. Every story will whip you away in a whirlwind romance.

Even better, most romance novels are written to be a series. Each book is like one episode of a show. These books are easy to digest, so you can read them on your lunch break or on the train or before bed, but they’re so juicy that you’ll be eager for more.

In the world of comic books and superheroes, there isn’t much diversity. Let’s be real – most superheroes are white dudes, right? But the problem with this is that everyone wants to see superheroes in their own image. Sure, we’re never going to be able to shoot webs out of our hands, or soar across the skies with just a cape, but superheroes are a symbol of power, strength, and all-around awesomeness! We want to see superheroes just like us, kicking butt and taking down the big bad guys.

Sure, you have your classic Black superheroes like “Black Panther” or “Hancock”, but what about the black women?

You might think there are no black women superheroes, but thankfully, you’d be dead wrong. We’ve done some digging and found some of the most fierce black female superheroes out there. Furthermore, we discuss which black actress would play each of the superheroes in a movie!

Not so long ago, it would have been crazy to think that a woman of African descent, or any woman of color, could be a widely recognized model. Strutting down the catwalk, showcasing major brands to the world? Impossible! But no longer…

We’ve fought hard to be recognised in every arena of life, and beauty and modelling is just one of them. Now we’re taking the fashion world by storm, both behind the camera and in front of it. We’re represented in our full glory – from light skinned stunners to dark skinned beauties, with every body size represented, too. Some of our models rock natural hair. Some rock wigs and weaves. But one thing’s for sure, despite all their differences, they all do us proud.

Here are six of our favorite black women models!