Cynthia Erivo looks glam on the digital cover of Essence‘s latest issue, available now.

Here’s what the 32-year-old actress had to share with the mag about her role as Harriet Tubman in new biopic Harriet:

On how she wants the film to impact people: “Sometimes I think I am literally the smallest, most unimportant thing in the room…But Harriet was small, like me, and was able to do so much. Playing her taught me that my actions can change the world. I want young women to feel like they, too, have earned a place in this world, and they should use it well.”

On showing Harriet’s humanity: “I desperately wanted to show her as a woman. I don’t think we know enough about that. She was a fully realized woman who had love in her life and heartbreak and family she cared for and desperately wanted to be with. That was what drove her.”

On fighting like Harriet: “We’re in a dangerous place right now when people who have nothing to do with us are making decisions about our lives and our bodies…We’re watching changes that were made for our freedom getting rolled back. Having done this movie, I feel more impassioned than ever about making sure that we as women are able to preserve our rights.”

For more from Cynthia Erivo, visit Essence.com.

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