Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson may be a huge star, but at this year’s Golden Globe Awards, his daughter will be the one taking the stage. Simone Garcia Johnson was recently named as this year’s Golden Globe Ambassador—a.k.a. the person seen holding the hardware and ushering the actors off stage after they wrap up their speeches.

The position is a longstanding Golden Globes tradition, and is typically given to a Hollywood celeb’s offspring. In the past, it has gone to Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson’s daughter, Dakota Johnson, Bruce Dern and Diane Ladd’s daughter, Laura Dern and 90s hearthrob Freddie Prinze Jr., son of actor and comedian Freddie Prinze. This year, Simone will be taking over the role from Sylvester Stallone’s three children, Sophia, Sistine and Scarlet—but The Rock’s daughter will play a slightly different role than her predecessors, who were all referred to as Mr. or Miss Golden Globe.

“When I found that out, it made it so much more surreal to me and I feel blessed,” Simone told WWD. “I’m really happy that the Hollywood Foreign Press chose to make this change especially with the world that we live in now. It promotes equality and it’s more inclusive and those are things that I feel passionately about.”

And that passion is exactly why Simone should be on your radar. She has been an advocate for refugees, Black Lives Matter and women’s empowerment, so it should be no surprise that she is now planning to use her position as the Golden Globe Ambassador to take a stance—something that will likely be common at this year’s Golden Globe Awards, which air Sunday.

The Golden Globes are the first major award show of the 2018 season and promise to be a platform for celebs to push for change in the industry. Actors-turned-activists are calling for an all-black dress code in silent support of the Time’s Up campaign against systemic workplace inequality and harassment. Simone’s father, Dwayne, is just one of the many men that has confirmed that he will be wearing black in solidarity with the movement. Viewers are also poised to see what presenters, including women’s rights advocates Gal Gadot, Emma Watson and Kerry Washington, will say when they take the stage—and Simone has made it clear that she is proud to stand alongside these women as they fight for change.

As part of her role as the Golden Globe Ambassador, Simone was required to partner with a charity. She chose GlobalGirl Media, an organization that teaches digital journalism  to young women in under-served communities. The organization aims to empower young women to use their voices to help change how women are portrayed in the media. It’s a cause that she seems to relate to personally—in the past, Simone, who is also a published author and IMG model, has used her social media platforms to call out media outlets for their sexist and degrading portrayal of women.

Which is why it’s no surprise that Simone has also been vocal about her support of the Time’s Up movement.

“I stand in solidarity with women across every industry to say #TIMESUP on abuse, harassment, and assault. #TIMESUP on oppression and marginalization. #TIMESUP on misrepresentation and underrepresentation,” she wrote in an Instagram post.

Get ready to hear much more about Simone in 2018 and beyond; she has made it clear that she hopes to use the Golden Globes stage to keep fighting for the causes she believes in.

“I want to use this platform to use my voice, and I want to be a role model to young people everywhere,” she said in an interview with Teen Vogue. “What people should know about our generation is that we are very passionate about our ideas, and we’re very passionate about the things that we feel need to be changed.”

Related:

Why Rose McGowan’s Feminism Isn’t for Me, or Other Women of Colour
Emma Watson, Gal Gadot & More Golden Globes Presenters Who’ve Spoken Out Against Inequality
Hundreds of Celebs Are Fighting Workplace Sexual Harassment—In All Industries—with Time’s Up
A Major Golden Globes Party Was Just Cancelled for a Seriously Worthy Cause
7 Golden Globes Snubs That Will Break Your Dang Heart

The post Why This Year’s Golden Globe Ambassador Should Be on Your Radar appeared first on Flare.

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