Keke Palmer, McDonald's Honors Young, Black Leaders

McDonald’s is sending the message that Black history isn’t only for the month of February by, once again, teaming up with the embodiment of unapologetic #BlackGirlMagic herself.

Source: McDonald’s / Black & Positively Golden

For the second year in a row, Keke Palmer and Mcdonald’s are honoring and promoting the next generation of Black leaders and visionaries through the Black & Positively Golden Change Leaders, which McDonald’s USA described as “a collective of 10 young, Black movers-and-shakers who inspire and enact remarkable change in their communities and beyond.”

“To further propel their leadership and underscore that Black history and excellence should be celebrated all year, beyond Black History Month, Change Leaders will be featured in a national advertising campaign voiced over by the multitalented award-winning actress, singer and entertainer Keke Palmer,” McDonad’s USA wrote in its announcement. “They will also attend culturally impactful events to elevate awareness of their missions, and will have their stories profiled on McDonald’s Black & Positively Golden Instagram, @wearegolden, each month.”

Not only that, but each of the 10 honored Black leaders will receive $20,000, “and will have access to elevated platforms to amplify their community missions, ranging from financial literacy to equality across the education system to mental health advocacy,” McDonald’s USA said.

Source: McDonald’s / Black & Positively Golden

Meanwhile, Palmer certainly doesn’t need any lessons about how Black history is not being reserved solely for Black History Month, because, well, like most of us, that’s just how she lives.

“Honestly, I’m always celebrating Black History Month cause I’m always giving you that black and positively golden vibe. I’m just Blackity- Black-Black,” Palmer said during an exclusive interview with Hello Beautiful.

“In general, you always start thinking about how Black people have impacted the world. I always think to myself, ‘If we didn’t use anything that a Black person created, I think it would really make me take a step back and realize all the things that Black people have actually done,’” Palmer went on to say. “And it just reminds you of the impact and the importance of our community of people, which sometimes can make you feel like it’s not acknowledged, you know what I mean?”

And there it is, folks. Black people have historically contributed and created too much of American culture to wrap up in 28 days, and we continue to do so.

MEET THE 2023 BLACK & POSITIVELY GOLDEN CHANGE LEADERS

· Andrew Ankamah Jr., is a 21-year-old activist from North Brunswick, NJ and resides in Philadelphia, PA, where he graduated from Temple University with a degree in Political Science. Andrew is the Founder & Director of The Accountability Initiative, an  organization of young activists who advocate and seek solutions for underrepresented communities. He is also a Youth Mentor at POPPYN (A Youth Social Justice Media Program) and a Philadelphia Youth Commissioner, where he advises the city and helps to bring youth voices to politicians and other individuals in decision-making positions. 

· *Brianna Baker, is a 28-year-old activist from Arlington, VA who went to Spelman College and founded Justice for Black Girls, a social justice education space that serves Black girls’ needs for protection, safety, and belonging, through a holistic culture of care, coupled with Black feminist curriculum, grassroots collaborations, and academic partnerships.

· Dr. Garrick Beauliere, is a 28-year-old post-doctoral fellow born and raised in Union, NJ and currently resides in Baltimore, MD, where he is a Post-Doctoral Fellow within the Veterans Affairs Maryland Health Care System. Dr. Beauliere received his PsyD in clinical psychology in August 2022 and his dissertation assessed vicarious trauma in Black Americans who have not experienced police violence. He is the only Black person and Black male clinician within his clinic, making his job that much more important in making Black Veterans feel comfortable and seen. In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Beauliere was also on the Association of Black Psychologists Student National Board for 2 years. Currently, he is the Vice President of the DC chapter of the Association of Black Psychologists.

· *Kemia Bridgewater, from Detroit, MI, is a 21-year-old youth mentor who attended Hampton university and is passionate about empowering first-generation college students of color, which led her to co-found the non-profit organization, First Generation Gems.

· Kamarie Brown, is a 20-year-old feminist scholar who was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, and is currently based in Atlanta, Georgia at Spelman College. Brown is passionate about amplifying the voices of youth in her community. She was elected as the first Black Woman to be Los Angeles Unified School District’s Student Board Member where she contributed to important policies surrounding mental health, maternity support, and relief funding. 

· *Hope Bryant is a 19-year old filmmaker, photographer, designer, and writer from Houston, TX, attending Howard University in Washington D.C. Hope is passionate about creating films with Black representation. She hopes to use her education and passion to portray lesser-told stories that highlight the complexity of the Black female experience and de-stigmatize racial stereotypes within the film industry.

· *Nyla Choates, originally from Milpitas, CA, is a 19-year-old community activist who is currently a sophomore at Spelman College in Atlanta Georgia. Nyla is passionate about sharing the rich history of African-Americans, leading her to publish her first children’s book, “My Roots Are Rich”, and founding her own non-profit dedicated to fighting systemic racism within the education system. Nyla also led one of the largest Black Lives Matter protests in the Bay area when she was just 18-years-old.

· Aaliyah Duah, from Brooklyn, NY, is 20 years old who attended Virginia State University and is the founder of Financial Revolutionn, a platform created to expose people to basic financial literacy terms, concepts, and investing tips through daily social media content on Instagram and TikTok.  She has published a book, entitled The Blueprint for Investing Vol. 1, that educates readers on the fundamentals of investing and financial literacy, she also hosts a podcast called Young & Dumb Show, about entrepreneurship and is releasing a financial literacy album.  

· Dorian Hollingsworth Jr., a 20-year-old Mental Health Advocate originally from New York and now resides in Norfolk, VA, is the Founder and Executive Director of Teen Care Network – a self-started non-profit organization established to help break the stigma surrounding mental health in communities of color by offering free mental health resources to teens.

· Aaliyah Alicia Thompson, from Hampton, GA, is a 21-years old autistic advocate and made history as the first woman with autism in the country to open her own beauty bar, “Aaliyah’s Beauty Bar.” She hopes to serve as an inspiration to all people, particularly people, and families that deal with autism, that any dream is achievable when you follow your passions.

*Change Leaders who attended an Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Shout out to Keke palmer and McDonald’s for shining a light on that, and congrats to all of the 2023 Black & Positively Golden Change Leaders.