By Sophie Lee, Third Year, English
March is a fantastic time of year to be thinking about all the incredible women in your life, with International Women of Colour Day on the 1st March and International Women’s Day (IWD) on the 8th March. This year’s IWD theme is Give to Gain, focusing on forging gender equality through abundant giving. Epigram is here to bring you a list of some amazing women of colour in film and TV to inspire you this March!
CYNTHIA ERIVO
Best known for her star turn as Jon M. Chu’s Elphaba in both Wicked (2024) and Wicked: For Good (2025), Erivo has been a trailblazer for women of colour in the entertainment industry. Born in the UK, she is an accomplished actress, singer, and songwriter, making her name on stage before transitioning onto the big screen. Her breakout theatre role was Celie in The Colour Purple, which won her a Tony Award, a Grammy Award, and an Emmy, making her 3/4 of the way to becoming an EGOT recipient!
Much of her work has centred around the struggles of women of colour, from Celie herself to Harriet Tubman in Harriet (2019), and finally Elphaba. Although Elphaba exists in a fantasy universe of Oz, her story has been seen as an allegory for racism, as she is bullied by her fellow classmates for having green skin. By becoming one of the first Black actresses to play the role, Erivo has set the standard for future casting, ensuring a more racially diverse casting for one of the biggest musicals on the planet.
YERIN HA
Ha has recently burst onto our screens portraying Sophie Baek in the fourth season of Netflix’s smash hit Bridgerton. While it’s easy to get swept up in the world of masquerade balls, forbidden love stories, and oh-so-many billowy white shirts, it’s important not to forget the incredible work Bridgerton is putting in for race representation. Although originally written as a white character, Netflix’s decision to cast Ha, a Korean-Australian actress, in the role of Sophie highlights the multicultural face of romantic storylines, proving that romantic leads aren’t limited to leggy blondes.
Given the relative lack of Asian representation on Australian television, Ha moved to South Korea at the age of 15 to attend full-time drama training, only returning to Australia three years later. When talking to ELLE about the decision to change her character from Sophie Beckett to Sophie Baek, Ha stated ‘I was super appreciative of [the showrunner] changing the last name so that it fits with my identity and my culture and how I look [...] for a production of that size to mold a character to me really empowered me’. For one, this Epigram writer cannot WAIT for the next instalment of Bridgerton season 4 to come out, in no small part due to Ha’s excellent performance!
SHONDA RHIMES
Staying firmly within the Bridgerton cinematic universe, Shonda Rhimes is not only the executive producer of the romance show, but is the founder of production company Shondaland, and has become the first woman to create three television dramas that have achieved the 100 episode milestone. Named by Time as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2007, 2013, and 2021, Rhimes is one of the richest women entertainers in America. She passionately supports arts, education, and activism through the Rhimes Family Foundation, trying to improve access to creative sectors for school-aged children. She credits much of her success to Debra Martin Chase, a prominent African-American producer, who hired Rhimes as an intern while she was studying. An inspiring story for us all, Rhimes shows the importance of forging ahead with your career path no matter what.
ZENDAYA
American actress and singer Zendaya Coleman got her start on Disney Channel’s Shake It Up, cast alongside Bella Thorne. Since then Zendaya has gone from strength to strength, not only becoming mononymous, but doing so while starring in some of the biggest franchises of all time. Born to an African-American father and a German-Scottish mother, Zendaya’s name derives from the Shona word Tendai, meaning ‘to give thanks’ (and tying in perfectly to this year’s IWD theme!). Activism has been at the heart of many of her performances, from when she was six performing a play in honour of Black History Month, to her portrayal of Ronnie Spector in the upcoming biopic Be My Baby. Personally chosen by Spector for the role, Zendaya continues to be a role model for young Black and mixed-race women alike.
Jessica Lees
All of the women mentioned in this article have achieved incredible things, partly while battling race discrimination, but also partly battling sexism, classism, and many other issues. Cynthia Erivo, Yerin Ha, Shonda Rimes, and Zendaya all show us that we can achieve great things no matter our race, with all of them becoming not only the first women of colour to achieve certain things, but the first woman, full stop. This International Women of Colour Day, try celebrating the women of colour in your life!
Featured Image: Epigram / Zein Hakki
Who is inspiring you this International Women of Colour Day?
