Zoe Kravitz: I Experienced A 'Big Shift' In Embracing My Blackness

Zoe Kravitz appears calm, cool and super cute on the June cover of Allure magazine but it’s the cover story itself that is most refreshing. 

In the issue, the actress shares her thoughts on current events, like what it was like working on the HBO show “Big Little Lies,” her recent switch to platinum blond hair and, arguably most pressing, her thoughts on America’s racial and political climate. 

“Racism is very real and white supremacism is going strong,” Kravitz said in the cover story . She went on to speak to her own experiences being raised by mixed-race superstar parents, actress Lisa Bonet and musician Lenny Kravitz , as well as her relationship with her blackness.

“I am definitely mixed. Both my parents are mixed. I have white family on both sides,” she said. “The older I get, the more I experience life, I am identifying more and more with being black, and what that means — being more and more proud of that and feeling connected to my roots and my history.”

Kravitz said attending predominantly white schools often made her feel disconnected from her blackness growing up and that fully embracing her identity was sometimes a struggle. 

“It’s been a really interesting journey because I was always one of the only black kids in any of my schools,” she said. “I went to private schools full of white kids. I think a lot of that made me want to blend in or not be looked at as black.”

“The white kids are always talking about your hair and making you feel weird,” she added. “I had this struggle of accepting myself as black and loving that part of myself.”

Kravitz said she has since evolved and experienced a “big shift” in her life that has led her to fully embrace her identity and take pride in being black, which she says especially means a lot to her father, who is no stranger to unapologetic expression.

“Now I’m so in love with my culture and so proud to be black,” she said. “It’s still ongoing, but a big shift has occurred. My dad especially has always been very connected to his history, and it’s important to him that I understand where I come from.” 

Head to Allure to check out the full issue and cover story.