Happy Black History Month 2025:
To celebrate, we are reposting some of our favorite Black Swans = names & faces everyone should know!
Chances are that you recognize Gabrielle Union, the star of 2000s teen classics Bring It On (2000), She’s All That (1999), and romantic comedies like Think Like a Man (2012). What you might not know, however, is how passionate of an advocate she has been for women and people of color. From speaking up in support of women who have faced sexual assault to fighting against police brutality, Grace she was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2020. Today, as we name Gabrielle our SWAN of the Day, we are delighted to shine a spotlight on all of her impactful work, both on the screen and off.
Born in Omaha, Nebraska, Gabrielle grew up in an open-minded family, but nevertheless experienced the effects of being Black in a primarily white town. In an interview with Yahoo, she said that she used to believe that “blonde was the ideal of beauty, and if I looked nothing like that, then I must be ugly.” She attended UCLA, and in the summer before her sophomore year, she was sexually assaulted. This experience informed much of her advocacy work, fueling her fight for women’s rights.
“One of the smartest things that I have done in my life has been to stop being afraid to talk about being a sexual assault survivor,” she told Yahoo. “I decided to really use my voice to talk about things other than if Freddie Prinze Jr. is cute or what kind of kisser Will Smith is. I try to actually use my voice as something positive. The single most important thing I’ve done as an adult is to tell that story and let people know that no matter what you go through in life, you’re not alone. It does get better. You are not going to stay on the ground. You will be lifted up.”
“The single most important thing I’ve done as an adult is to tell that story and let people know that no matter what you go through in life, you’re not alone. It does get better. You are not going to stay on the ground. You will be lifted up.”
Gabrielle began modeling after interning at a modeling agency, and began to audition for small and supporting roles. Some of these, like her guest appearance on an episode of Friends, made her popular. In the late 90s, Gabrielle appeared in a series of teen comedies, including She’s All That (1999) and the indelible 10 Things I Hate About You (1999). Her breakout role came the the following year when she starred alongside Kirsten Dunst in Bring It On (2000), a cheerleading movie that is considered a genre classic to this day.
Since then, Grace has featured in a range of films including Love & Basketball (2000), Neo Ned (2005), Tyler Perry’s Daddy’s Little Girls (2007), and Think Like a Man (2012).
In 2013 she set her sights on television. The National Women’s History Museum stated, “[Gabrielle] can be seen in the BET series Being Mary Jane, which was created by Mara Brock Akil. The 90-minute pilot debuted in summer of 2013 as the highest-rated show on cable for the evening pulling in 4 million viewers. Gabrielle received a 2014 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special for the role.
Apart from making headway in her acting career, Gabrielle also has her own beauty line, Flawless, designed for women with textured hair. She is the author of two children’s books and two memoirs, the latter of which are titled We’re Going to Need More Wine and You Got Anything Stronger? She was a judge on America’s Got Talent in 2019, and she filed a suit against the show after her contract was not renewed, citing it was because she spoke out against racist policies. In her personal life, the actress has been vocal about her fertility struggles, writing a moving essay in TIME Magazine after she and husband Dwayne Wade were forced to have a surrogate pregnancy.
As a multi-talented actress, best-selling author, and tireless advocate, Gabrielle is the definition of a SWAN that deserves to be celebrated.
© FF2’s SWAN-of-the-Day Team (10/29/24) – Special for FF2 Media
LEARN MORE/DO MORE
Read Gabrielle’s entry from the National Women’s History Museum.
Check out a 2015 Yahoo interview with her.
Read Gabrielle’s TIME account of her surrogacy and fertility struggles.
CREDITS & PERMISSIONS
Featured Photo: Gabrielle Union at a red carpet event on August 16, 2010. Credit: Kristoffer Tripplaar / Alamy Stock Photo. Image ID: BP5CCW
Middle Photo: Gabrielle Union in the film BRING IT ON (2000). Credit: © Universal Pictures / Maximum Film / Alamy Stock Photo. Image ID: 2JD8Y9B
Bottom Photo: Gabrielle Union arriving at the ‘America’s Got Talent’ semi-finals taping at Dolby Theatre on September 11, 2019. Credit: AFF / Alamy Stock Photo. Image ID: 2HYK7TM
