What Is BESE: An Open Letter From Zoe Saldana

Photo by Stefan Kocev

BESE is a new media platform that represents communities that have been left out of mainstream discourse for too long. Our mission is to broaden and reshape popular narratives by celebrating the untold stories of today’s changing America. We respect all identities and admire the people who have the courage to say, “this is who I am.”

BESE is about reconstructing and recontextualizing narratives around how young people connect to today’s America. It’s about inclusivity and telling the stories that navigate the cultures, identities, and nations that make up this country.

I made BESE because I wanted to highlight those intersections and to create a platform of representation for those who feel excluded and deserve to tell their own stories. We want to highlight those faces and provide a place for young people to engage with positive narratives across a spectrum of identities.

For me, it’s hard to reckon a proud sense of country with a proud sense of heritage in today’s changing America, but I hope that my sons will live to see a day where this is not a possibility, but a reality.

I am raising American boys who will be perceived, and at times labeled as other. I want them to be proud of who they are. I want them to love and to understand first. I want them to know that their identity—as multi-cultural as it may be—is dignified and worthy of The American Dream. I want the same for all of you. 

BESE is about brazenly celebrating identity and generating conversation about what American means to all the communities of a country I’m proud to be a part of.

We are the once and future America. We are BESE.