Since landing a leading role in Stranger Things two years ago, Millie Bobby Brown has really made an impression both in and out of the acting world. The 14-year-old has been recognized for her emotional maturity, her openness and honesty about her health, and her political activism during a time of social change.
And now, after this weekend's March For Our Lives, the teen actress has made another bold statement in support of the 17 people who tragically lost their lives in the Parkland shooting last month.
Brown couldn't actually attend the march, as she was already scheduled to appear at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. However, that didn't stop her from using her time in front of a crowd to stand up for what she believes in.
When she first turned up to the event, not everyone noticed the significance of her outfit. Her decision to wear a very 90s-esque double denim ensemble seemed to be a slightly alternative choice, but the true message of her look didn't become apparent until she showed it off on the red carpet.
Above her shirt pocket, Brown had the words "NEVER AGAIN" stitched into the fabric - the slogan of Saturday's march. Then, when she turned around, she revealed the names of the Parkland victims, along with "MARCH FOR OUR LIVES".
After that, the Stranger Things actress took to the stage to accept the award for Favourite TV Actress, at which point she gave a moving speech about using her voice and her influence to encourage positive change.
"Thank you so much for this award, and to Nickelodeon for bringing us all together. As we saw a moment ago, the March for Our Lives demonstrations that took place all over the world today have inspired me and impacted us all in one way or another," she said.
"But more than anything, I get to be up here, and I'm privileged to have a voice that can be heard, one that I can use to hopefully make a positive difference and help influence change.
"OK, so there's an amazing support, love and kindness in this room right now, and I want to encourage everyone to embrace it and to pass it on."
Of course, Brown is not the only young person to have spoken up for her generation this weekend.
Martin Luther King Jr.'s eight-year-old granddaughter, Yolanda King, gave an impassioned speech in Washington on Saturday, in which she called for an end to gun violence. At other events, survivors of the Parkland shooting stood up to advocate for greater gun control and improved safety for school children, with Emma Gonzalez giving a moving presentation that went on for the same amount of time that it took Nikolas Cruz to slay more than a dozen of her peers.
Though the USA has seen far too many tragic events in recent years, it seems that social attitudes might have finally made a turning point in the wake of the Florida attack. And, with people like Millie Bobby Brown leading the way, we can only hope that the movement will grow stronger as this generation becomes old enough to vote and run for leadership positions.
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