A familiar face from the Ferguson unrest will grace the cover of ESSENCE magazine for its February issue – which unveils the 2016 #BlackGirlMagic class. Johnetta Elzie will be one of three featured on the front of the publication’s Black History Month edition.
Actresses Teyonah Parris and Yara Shahidi will have their own cover as well.
Elzie was on the frontline of the community’s response to the shooting death of Michael Brown Jr. on August 9, 2014 from day one. She became a trusted source thanks to her prolific presence on social media – Twitter in particular – over the course of months of relentless protests, direct actions and demonstrations.
Through her posts and accompanied commentary, she offered a bird’s eye view of what was happening on the ground through the eyes of a protester.
Tear gas, rubber bullets and arrests became a part of Elzie’s reality as she immersed herself in the movement.
While about her work in response to what became known simply as Ferguson (or more broadly The Black Lives Matter movement), Elzie also cofounded We The Protesters, an activist group dedicated to racial justice and protesting against police brutality.
She was recognized by The Root 100 2015 for her work as an organizer and involvement in Campaign Zero, a comprehensive list of policy demands for criminal justice reform.
Black Lives Matter activist Johnetta Elzie is just one representation of all the hundreds of thousands of young activists across the country who are on the front lines of this new civil rights movement we are watching unfold right before our eyes,” ESSENCE Editor in Chief Vanessa De Luca told Mashable.com. “They are determined, they are vocal and they are resilient.”
In the feature “How Activist (and ESSENCE Cover Star) Johnetta ‘Netta’ Elzie Speaks Her Truth and What It’s Like Fighting For Yours,” Elzie opens up about being thrust into the spotlight and offers insight as far as who she is outside of her social activism.
She also responds to people’s criticism of her conspicuous “righteous rage” while on the frontlines in Ferguson.
“I’m a protester. We resist against the police, so I’m not trying to be cordial and polite with someone who’s pointing an M16 in my face,” Elzie told ESSENCE. “If a good F-bomb feels good there or, if I want to say sh– or damn or motherf—–, I’m going to do it. Protesting includes not being pretty and perfect.”
The #BlackGirlMagic edition of ESSENCE hits newsstands tomorrow (Jan. 8).
To read more about Elzie in Essence, visit http://www.essence.com/2016/01/06/how-activist-and-essence-cover-star-johnetta-netta-elzie-speaks-her-truth-and-what-its
