Big Dreams, Brown Girl: My Dreams as a Young African American Actress

Hi, it's Eleaya Neveah. 💖

I want to share something from the deepest part of my heart: my dreams.

When I was little, I used to watch movies and TV shows and look for someone who looked like me. Someone with my brown skin. My hair. My smile. Sometimes I found her, and when I did, I felt like the whole screen was saying, "You can do this too." Other times I didn't find her at all, and I would wonder, "Is there room for a girl like me?"

Now I know the answer. Yes. There is room. And if there isn't, I'll help make some.

I dream of being the girl on the screen

My biggest dream is to be the one that another little girl sees and thinks, "She looks like me."

I want to play the hero. The funny best friend. The girl who saves the day. The princess, the scientist, the dancer, the one everybody roots for. I want to play characters who are brave and kind and smart, and I want Black girls everywhere to know they can be all of those things too, on screen and in real life.

Every time I stand in front of a camera, I think about her: the girl who might be watching. That's who I'm doing this for.

I've already started, and I'm so grateful

I still have so far to go, but I'm proud of how far I've come. I played Rita in the movie The Therapist. I've been in commercials for Children's Hospital of Richmond, CBN and String Ring, and I've modeled for Tanya Taylor. And I'm now represented by The Brock Agency, which still makes me want to jump up and down! 🥹

Each one of those moments started the same way: with me being scared, and doing it anyway. (I wrote more about being a child actress in Richmond, Virginia.)

The part people don't see

Being a young actress isn't always glamorous. There are early mornings, long drives, lines to memorize and a lot of waiting. There are auditions where I give everything I have and still hear "no."

Some days that "no" feels heavy. But I've learned to hold my head up high, because my worth doesn't come from a callback. My family reminds me who I am, and I remind myself too:

My skin is beautiful. My hair is beautiful. My voice matters. My story matters. (Those words are part of my daily affirmations.)

What I'm dreaming of next

• 🎬 A leading role in a movie or series that makes people laugh, cry and believe in something.
• 🎤 Singing on stage. I love chorus, and I dream of the day my voice fills a big theater.
• 💃 Dancing like a K-pop idol. I love K-pop so much, and I dance all the time. I even helped make KPop Mirror, a free app for practicing K-pop dances in mirror mode, because I want every kid to be able to learn the dances they love.
• 🌍 Working all around the world, meeting new people and telling stories that bring us closer together.
• 💖 Opening doors for the girls who come after me, the way the women before me opened doors for me.

To the little brown girl who is dreaming too

I see you. I am you.

Maybe you practice your lines in the mirror. Maybe you dance in your room when nobody's watching. Maybe you've heard "no" and wondered if you should stop.

Please don't stop.

Your dream is not too big. Your hair is not too much. Your light is not too bright. The world needs your story, told in your voice, with your face, exactly the way you are.

We are not waiting for permission to shine. We are already shining. ✨

With all my love, Eleaya Neveah

Follow my journey and see my latest work at eleayaneveah.com.