Famed for her portrayal of Michonne in The Walking Dead, Danai Gurira is also opening doors for fellow African women to step into the limelight. More than just a talented actress, Danai is also a gifted playwright who uses her plays to channel the voice of African women.

Citing her reason for becoming a playwright, Danai states that she couldn’t find any stories on African females, and so begun creating pieces of work herself. Fueled by wanting to create a voice and leave lasting work for those like her, she created “Eclipsed”.

Being her best known production to date, “Eclipsed” tells the story of Liberian women during the war. The fact that it stars Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o has further cemented the plays mainstream circulation as well as allowing visibility for lesser known African actresses and creatives.

As well as being a regular on the Walking Dead, you can catch Danai’s most recent piece of work “Familiar” in theaters this spring – surely ensuring the visibility of African women in the spotlight for the time being and beyond.