Jameela began by talking about her life as a teen activist. “I’ve been outspoken since I was a teenager; I understand first-hand exactly what a crisis young people are in.”She started her career as a model before a traffic accident changed her life. “I got hit by a car when I was 19, and I broke my back, and realized how ridiculous starving myself and trying to hurt the body that I took so for granted was. Losing the ability to walk, to move, and losing all my autonomy made me look at my body and realize it’s an incredible friend of mine that I’ve mistreated for so long. And for what? For whom? And so that was when I started writing letters to newspapers, exposing the modeling world and calling for the bigger women in the industry – it was a little bit ahead of my time.”
Going on to talk about her ‘I Weigh’ movement, she said: I Weigh started as somewhere you would come to reclaim your sense of self, and it’s expanded into mental health, identity, culture, and even as far as international events such as the protests in Hong Kong. There’s nowhere that we don’t feel it is important, and I love how global it’s becoming.” Jameela spoke about her dream guests. The list includes Rihanna, Oprah, Reese Witherspoon, and Greta Thunberg.
Still, Jameela also feels a lack of support. “Everyone congratulates me but very few people would actually stand by me. That’s why it’s been amazing to have Lizzo and Reese Witherspoon’s support. Also, Taylor Swift has done nothing but highlight my work and the work of I Weigh and I appreciate her for that. It has taken so long to find allies. The number of people who do have the power to change everything, who could turn the narrative around, are afraid to because, I suppose, they’re frightened of biting the hand that feeds them.
But, Jamil shows consideration and says: “My rhetoric forces some people to confront their own inner demons, and that makes people uncomfortable, and I understand that.” Jameela reflected on her privilege as a celebrity. “It is insane how privilege can fast-track you in activism and it makes me sad, because back when I was 19, there’s no way I would’ve been able to have pulled this off. Like all the young activists nowadays, they go out trying to make a difference and are not listened to because they’re marginalized like I was. And it’s outrageous that once I became a famous actress people listened to me as if I’ve never said this stuff before. But it’s on record that I have been saying this for over a decade. That’s why I’m trying to use my platform to build a safe space for young activists while I’m in the position to offer them the limelight – because they’re the ones we need to be listening to.”
