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10 celebrities supporting people and planet

Words by Smiley Team

We may call them ‘stars’, but occassionally they come down to earth. From climate change to racism, celebrities often step up to tackle the major challenges faced by humanity.

After rising to fame, these 10 celebrities are doing their bit for a wide range of causes.

Racial equality - Rihanna

“We can only fix this world together. We can’t do it divided. I cannot emphasise that enough.” ~ Speaking at the NAACP Image Awards.

LGBT+ rights - Lady Gaga

“This community has fought and continues to fight a war of acceptance, a war of tolerance and the most relentless bravery.” ~ Speaking at World Pride and the 50th anniversary of Stonewall.

Overconsumption - Vivienne Westwood

“You have the economy and climate change in a loop - two snakes eating each others’ tails.” ~ Speaking in No Man’s Land.

Mental health - Ariana Grande

“We just have to be there for each other as much as we can because you never know. So I wanted to do something to make people feel good.” ~ Speaking about Get Well Soon.

Animal welfare - Billie Eilish

“I've been vegan for seven years. I learned about the dairy industry and the meat industry which I already knew about but once you know that kind of thing and you see it it's really hard to go back.” ~ Speaking to Vogue.

Climate change - Leonardo DiCaprio

“As an actor, I pretend for a living. I play fictitious characters, often solving fictitious problems. I believe that mankind has looked at climate change in that same way. As if it were a fiction.” ~ Speaking at the 2014 UN Climate Summit.

Economic equality - Brian Eno

“There is another possibility: basic income. That is, you give people a certain amount of money, whether they work or not.” ~ Speaking to the Guardian.

Clean oceans - Jaden Smith

“Seeing the ocean polluted... sparked a journey into learning about the environment. I was like 'wow, this is so groundbreaking.' I wanted to make an impact. I started learning about the environment, about plastic, about carbon dioxide." ~ Speaking to Reuters.

Education - Nicki Minaj

“Show me straight As that I can verify with your school and I’ll pay it.” ~ Posting on Twitter.

Gender equality - Emma Watson

“For the record, feminism by definition is the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities.” ~ Speaking for the UN HeForShe Campaign.

Have any celebrities caught your eye by giving back to people or the planet? We love hearing from our readers, so please drop us an email at [email protected] and let us know!

Inspired to act?

READ: 10 people raising their voice for gender equality

WATCH: Inside public living rooms, where strangers become friends

DONATE: Find a charity on our charities page, and find out more about how you can support. 

 

This article aligns with the following UN SDGs

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