Always Forward

Disney Channel’s That’s So Raven shot Raven-Symoné to teen stardom in the early 2000s, and now the show has a new spin-off Raven’s Home. The show, currently in its third season, features a new, fresh cast in addition to some friendly faces from the original series. One of the new members is the young actress, Navia Robinson, who stars as Nia Baxter-Carter, Raven’s intelligent, socially-conscious, non-psychic daughter.

As a matter of fact, Robinson has been working in the business since a very young age and is no stranger to being on hit TV shows. Others might know her from her stint on the Gabrielle Union BET show Being Mary Jane and the Netflix series Free Rein. “I was always really passionate about acting. When I told my parents about it, they were skeptical because I was so young, but I kept going on about it so they finally put me in [acting] classes and allowed me to pursue it,” says the 14-year-old actress who first became interested in acting when she was 5.

Thanks to Robinson’s two out of four brothers, she watched That’s So Raven growing up, which made her booking of the role “so exciting. You’re always psyching yourself up for a ‘no,’ so ‘yes’ is always the unexpected answer. I was so shocked and filled with gratitude.” Robinson even finds herself sharing many characteristic traits with Nia. “We’re so similar in so many ways. We’re really independent, into the environment, and share an interest in activism,” she adds.

With her newfound fame, many young kids now look up to Robinson and see her as a role model, a fact she is very aware of and welcomes with open arms. “It’s really surprising to me. It means a lot, and it’s definitely humbled me,” she shares. “It keeps me passionate about being a good person and passionate about spreading awareness of different topics. Being a role model is what makes me a better person.”

Much like her character Nia, she is aware of the injustices happening globally and thinks it’s important to bring them to light. “More than anything, I care about people and care about the rights being given to them, instead of being taken away from them,” says Robinson who is also eager about human rights. “It’s something I’ve talked to my parents about and something I’ve been involved in since I was very young and made aware [of].”

In addition to being a vocal activist and talented actress, Robinson is also a gifted singer. She is currently working on music with a few undisclosed franchises and is pursuing music for herself personally. Since she began acting full-time at a young age, music was mostly put on the back burner. “I’ve always written [songs] but never took the time to polish my writing and develop music from there,” she says. “Acting was always my primary focus. It still is, but now I’m able to balance my life better and am able to incorporate other passions of mine and spend more time on it.”

Robinson hopes to move into feature films and continue with projects she is impassioned about. The budding star also wants to continue bettering herself as a person “so that 10 years from now, I can look back and see how far I’ve come personally, and how far I’ve come with my patience and kindness. Just make sure you are always progressing and being the best version of yourself.”

Writer: Gavy Contreras

Photographer & Videographer: Catherine Asanov (@catherineasanov)

Stylist: Andrew Philip Nguyen

Hair: Berenz C.

Makeup: Paul Blanch

Editor: Eiko Watanabe

Special thanks to Diablo Restaurant + Cantina (@diablotacola - www.diablotacos.com) & EPK Media (@myepk & @epkmedia - epkmedia.com)