*Zendaya is undoubtedly one of Hollywood’s brightest young stars – and one of Black Hollywood’s wildest dreams. At just 24 years old, the actress has led two successful series on two of the biggest networks in TV land; costarred in a huge blockbuster Marvel film; and become the youngest woman ever to win the Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a drama, Euphoria. As much as the actress and activist has broken barriers in her past, it’s her present and future in Hollywood that’s winning.

For ESSENCE’s November + December issue, Zendaya graces the cover with stunning and picturesque black and white imagery that pays tribute to icons of the past while squarely establishing her as a leading force in the present and an icon of the future. The special issue is part of the brand’s ongoing 50^th anniversary celebration and also features Zendaya on three bonus digital covers (with fashion styling and creative direction led by renowned celeb stylist Law Roach.) In her cover story, A Work of Art, Zendaya talks to writer Sylvia Obell about everything from her historic Emmy win, speaking truth to power and carrying our legacy forward. She tells ESSENCE:

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• ON WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH HER MIND RIGHT BEFORE HER HISTORIC EMMY WINNING: “There’s a video of me that a family friend took while I was waiting, and you can see my leg shaking. In my head I was like, ‘Dude, just chill out. What will be, will be.’ I remember taking a deep breath, and then hearing my name, and then my family screamed. I was worried that if they kept screaming for too long, I wouldn’t have any time to actually say anything—but I didn’t want to stop them, because they were having a great time. It was a very special night. I’ll definitely remember that one forever…”
• ON RECEIVING SUPPORT FROM OTHER BLACK WOMEN AFTER HER EMMY WIN: “I’m honored to have that support, especially from my fellow young Black creatives. Through this Emmy’s period, especially, I felt a strong sense of support within our community, which I’m really grateful for. I think what’s slowly starting to happen is, artists like Issa Rae and Lena Waithe have created opportunities that have resulted in more of us being in these rooms. That’s such a special feeling, and I think it’s definitely changing the idea that there can only be “one at a time,” which is false. I love to see that genuine love and respect for each other’s work. I hope that we continue to expand that in all kinds of beautiful ways, because I think we’re on a really good path…”
• ON LAW ROACH’S CREATIVE + FASHION DIRECTION: “I also felt very excited that ESSENCE allowed Law [Roach] and me to be a part of the creative team and do something a little bit different. I had so much fun on this shoot paying homage to Donyale Luna, the first Black supermodel. A lot of what I do, specifically within fashion, is a tribute to fashion icons who came before me—many of whom are Black women. I love the way it turned out. I’m very proud of it. It’s one of my favorite cover shoots I’ve ever done.”
• ON FILMING “MALCOLM & MARIE” WHEN THE PANDEMIC FIRST SHUT DOWN: “It was a dream, because I’ve always wanted to be able to just strip everything away. I love what I do—and like most people, I was finding ways to stay inspired and stay creative, and luckily I know people who are the same way. It was great sitting in a room with John David Washington, Marcell Rév and Sam [Levinson], literally writing scenes as we went, coming up with ideas as we moved through the characters, and finding new things every day. That was the coolest part. That is why I do this.”

Source: Emmy-Winning Actress/Activist Zendaya on ESSENCE’s Nov/Dec Cover!