12 Times Celebrities Were Woke AF On Social Media

Social media has been both lauded and criticized as a platform for activism. In many cases, social media has connected people to support causes. Social media has even been used to spark revolution. In the Arab Spring and in Egypt, social media was widely used to coordinate protesters. The use of hashtags on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram have allowed people to draw attention to certain issues. Within hours of the shootings of Philando Castille and Alton Sterling, their names were trending on all major social media platforms. Castille's shooting was broadcast on Facebook Live, further exposing the travesty of police brutality against black and brown bodies.

While social media provides a way for people to talk about social justice issues and educate each other, it also creates what's been dubbed "social media slacktivism." This is when people's activism lives entirely on their social media pages. They share and retweet statuses and spread information, but they never do anything IRL. There is concern that social media is detracting from real activism because people feel like they're doing enough by being activists online.

Many celebrities have been accused of social media slacktivism. There are plenty of celebrities who play woke on their social media accounts, but don't do anything in the real world. Luckily, there are also a bunch of celebrities who bring their activism offline and work with the causes they champion on their social media. They believe that it's their responsibility to use their fame and privilege to make actual change.

These celebrities are woke AF on social media and IRL.

12 When Amandla Stenberg schooled us on gender identity

We should all be taking lessons from Amandla Stenberg. They're only 18 years old and they're already more socially aware than the rest of us. Amandla has been in the spotlight since they were only 13 years old, after they starred as Rue in "The Hunger Games." Like many child stars, Amandla has come of age in the spotlight, but they've handled it amazingly gracefully, even when asked to deal with their gender identity in a really public way.

Fans asked Amandla on Tumblr what gender pronouns they preferred. Amandla clarified that they identify as non-binary, so they prefer they/them pronouns. When Amandla was slammed for how they handled their gender identity, Amandla shot back with the most beautiful response ever, asserting their right to own and explore their gender identity and sexuality as they please.

Since then Amandla has been schooling us all in gender and sexuality studies. She just graduated high school, so she hasn't had much time for offline activism, but her expert education is exactly what the Internet needs.

11 When Zendaya made it clear that Black is Beautiful

Zendaya is another social media activist who's grown up in the spotlight. The Disney star has had a camera on her nearly her entire life and she's had to deal with all the Internet hate that comes with being a famous woman of color. When she stepped out at the Oscars with gorgeous dreadlocks she found out exactly how racist the Internet can be. Of course, she took to social media to clap back.

Many times since then, Zendaya has been the queen of shutting down haters and empowering young black women. She has spoken out about how she's proud of her beautiful black hair. She's clapped back at body shamers and defended other celebrities who have been body shamed. She's also a champion for making beauty standards more inclusive. She worked with Mattel to create a Barbie modeled after her, to ensure that the toy synonymous with girls represented all girls.

Zendaya has used her online presence to raise millions of dollars for HIV/AIDS research and efforts to fight childhood hunger around the world.

10 When Ariel Winter told us women can dress however the F they want

Unfortunately, Ariel Winter's body has been a topic of Internet conversation for years now. The star literally matured in front of our eyes on the show "Modern Family." By the time the star was 15 her breasts were a 32F, and of course, the Internet immediately decided to sexualize her. The headlines stopped being about her acting and started being about how her cleavage was out of control and shaming her for being "too sexy" for her age.

After dealing with insane online harassment and chronic back pain, Winter decided to have breast reduction surgery. She spoke openly about the how the decision was a way of asserting her agency and taking control of her body. She uses her platform to encourage women to take ownership of their bodies and not let anyone else make decisions about their bodies.

But the sexualization of her body didn't stop after the surgery. When she posted a pic of her in a bikini on Instagram a critic said she was "asking for it" by wearing something so skimpy. Winter, being the queen she is, unleashed a tirade about how women are never asking for it no matter what they wear and slamming the Internet for sexualizing her body against her will.

Winter is a body positive champion who teaches girls to embrace their bodies and never let their sexuality be co-opted by others.

9 When Rowan Blanchard showed the future of protesting

They say the children are our future, and if Rowan Blanchard is our future I'm totally here for that. Blanchard is only fifteen years old, but she's already a serious feminist IRL. The star of "Girl Meets World" has spoken out many times on her own social media and in interviews about the importance of gender equality.

She's also seriously involved in the protest scene. She's been spotted at multiple marches since Trump's election, and was even a speaker at the Women's March on Washington. She was one of the youngest celebrity activists at the march.

Blanchard uses her social media accounts to share information about feminist theory, gender inequality, and the issues facing women in the media and in real life. She uses her fame to get people involved in activism as well.

Blanchard is also a firm believer that art is activism. She believes that increased representation in movies and television will empower women, and she works to be a good role model for her fans.

8 When Emma Watson gave a lesson about toxic masculinity

Hermione is all grown up and now she's our feminist hero. Watson has always understood that she had the power to inspire girls. She has spoken many times about how honored she was to portray Hermione, a character who was valued for her brains and feelings rather than her appearance.

Since the "Harry Potter" series ended, Watson has continued to work for the betterment of women and girls. In 2014 she teamed up with the United Nation Women's program to launch a campaign called HeForShe, which champions gender equality. Emma regularly attends speaking engagements for the campaign, has carried their work abroad, and uses her social media accounts to educate about gender equality and get people involved.

As part of her work for gender equality, Watson also works to expose the ways that our expectations of men create gender inequality and hurt men just as much as women, like she pointed out in this tweet.

Watson also runs an online feminist book club which encourages members to read books with feminist messages.

7 When Laverne Cox stood up for trans rights

Laverne Cox is probably the most outspoken and visible activists for trans rights and trans inclusion. The "Orange is the New Black" actress is trans herself and she uses her social media platforms to promote trans visibility. Her Instagram is full of pictures of her absolutely slaying and most of the pics are accompanied by #transisbeautiful. She's working to change ideas about what it means to be trans and what it means to look trans. The message? Trans people have all sorts of different experiences and we need to respect all of them.

Cox is a social justice warrior offline as well. The star travels to colleges and schools across the country to talk about her experiences being trans and how to make campuses more inclusive. Cox has also used her voice to support other trans people who are brave enough to put their lives on the line to fight for their rights. At the Grammy's this year, Laverne Cox gave a shout out to student Gavin Grimm, whose court case against his school over bathroom usage was headed to the Supreme Court.

Cox is also heavily involved in advocating for legislation that supports trans people. Most recently, she spoke out against the passing of the American Healthcare Act, which would allow insurance companies to refuse coverage to trans people because being trans is considered a "pre-existing condition."

6 When Alicia Keys challenged traditional beauty standards

Last year, Alicia Keys made the public decision to stop wearing makeup. She started what has come to be known as the #nomakeup revolution. She started filling her social media accounts with pictures of her without makeup and with her natural hair. She talked about how stressful it is for women to feel like they constantly have to look a certain way and live up to certain standards. Keys went on a mission to publicly appreciate her own natural beauty.

Much was made of her personal decision and the public way she presented it. Some lauded her as a feminist hero, others bashed her for making a big deal out of her decision. Makeup addicts all over the Internet felt like her decision was a judgment on women who wear makeup.

Then Keys delivered the most important message: her decision was personal and had nothing to do with what other women choose to do or not do with makeup. She made it clear that she didn't think she was better or more feminist than anyone for making her own decision. She deconstructed the idea that a woman's personal decision is automatically a judgement on other women.

Keys leverages her social media platforms to empower women to love their bodies regardless of the decisions they choose to make or the expectations of others. Offline, Keys works with multiple activist organizations including Global Citizen and Keep a Child Alive.

5 When Amber Rose shut down trolls like the Queen she is

Amber Rose is a controversial celebrity. She's been torn apart on the Internet multiple times. Her only crime? Being comfortable with her body and her sexuality. Amber Rose isn't shy about posting nude photos or talking about her intimate life. She also refuses to hide the fact that she used to be an exotic dancer and she advocates for the rights of women who work in "adult" industries.

Rose is famous for shutting down trolls who try to shame her for being comfortable with herself. She uses her social media platforms to break down ideas of what it means to be a "respectable" woman, asserting that all women deserve respect, no matter what choices they make about their relationships and their bodies.

Offline, she does extensive work with an organization called Slut Walk, which organizes public protests clapping back at the idea that women are "asking for it" based on the way they dress. She organizes her own event in LA each year and works with the organization throughout the country.

4 When Queen Bey got in Formation

At the 2016 Superbowl Beyonce shook the world when she and her backup dancers came out in outfits reminiscent of the Black Panthers and performed her Black Girl Magic anthem, Formation. Beyonce fans know that her music has always been political and unapologetically Black, but previously, Beyonce had been seen as black, but not too black. Black, but not a threat to the white supremacy that controls the country. But when she dropped her album Lemonade and stepped out in Formation with her ladies, she became a super visible champion for black lives.

Beyonce is a super star of epic proportions. There are few celebrities as popular as her, which makes her voice very powerful. When she lends this voice to activist causes, people listen and people react, which encourages conversation about important issues. Beyonce has been a vocal advocate for Black Lives Matter online and offline. She has spoken out many times about police brutality and the need to end institutionalized racism in the country. And she's donated a ton of money to organizations that support black lives.

3 When Lucy Liu reminded us that we need to defend all children

Lucy Liu's activism actually started offline. Since 2004 the actress has been working with UNICEF to help at risk children all over the world. Liu grew with very little, which keeps her grateful for everything she has today. It also makes her hyper aware of the struggles children face all over the world. When she began looking for an organization to volunteer with, she knew that she wanted her efforts to be centered around children.

Liu travels all around the world to help children who are facing hunger and conflict every day. She has also been a vocal advocate for accepting Syrian refugees. Today, Liu is a UNICEF Ambassador. She uses her social media accounts to educate people about the awful things children are enduring around the world. She believes that one of the reasons people don't help more is a lack of understanding. So, she shares information on her social media accounts and encourages people to do more for these children.

2 When Lady Gaga offered to educate Piers Morgan about PTSD

This past winter, Lady Gaga opened up about being assaulted and the fact that she suffers from PTSD as a result. When she tweeted about this, CNN pundit Piers Morgan lashed out saying that her PTSD wasn't real. He implied that PTSD is only suffered by those in the military who have experienced combat. He also expressed his anger that celebrities "pretend" to have PTSD as a result of a traumatic experience.

Lady Gaga responded so gracefully, even though she'd just been called an overreacting liar. She pointed out that PTSD is not just a "military disease" and that many people suffer PTSD after a traumatic experience. She also explained that PTSD is particularly common in women who have been assaulted by men.

Lady Gaga has been using her social media presence to advocate for victims of assault and abuse for years. Her honesty about her own assault and her struggle with PTSD encourages other women to come forward and seek help. Offline, Lady Gaga works with many organizations that support victims of assault and abuse and she frequently works with LGBTQ+ kids living in homeless shelters.

1 When Ariana Grande called out objectification

Ariana Grande is another pro at calling out trolls. She's used her social media accounts to speak out against body shaming, slut shaming, and pretty much shaming of any kind. She's a big proponent of supporting other women instead of tearing them down.

Like many of the other women on this list, Grande has continually used social media to drive home the point that women make their own choices about their bodies and that those choices aren't not indications of how respectable they are. She shut down people who said she portrayed herself as "too sexy" by reminding them that the choice to appear sexual in art is not an invitation to be sexualized.

Grande regularly takes her activism offline as well. She has done work on hunger problems in Africa and HIV/AIDS research. She has also raised money for St. Jude's Children Hospital.