Source: (Photo by Lexie Moreland/WWD via Getty Images) (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/FilmMagic) (Photo by Julian Hamilton/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images)

Aging should be looked at as a privilege. One that provides opportunity to live more life, to evolve, to chase your dreams, and spend more time with family. Not everyone gets that option. In the entertainment industry, women are often punished for aging. Many are told they are no longer deemed sexy enough to book on camera roles, or to model.

Everyday women work to break those stereotypes by showing how life doesn’t stop at age 50, 60, 70 and beyond. Even though Hollywood has been working to be more inclusive in recent years, it still has a long way to go. Aging is natural, normal, and quite frankly…inevitable. So why do we continue to run from it?

After the premiere of the legacy sequel, A Different World, Jasmine Guy received cruel comments about her appearance. The 64-year-old clapped back gracefully and reminded the world that “beauty, style, and joy don’t have an expiration date.”

With that in mind, this week we’re proving her right by sharing some of our favorite Black women ages 50 and up who continue to thrive and show why aging is something to look forward to.

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1. Gabrielle Union, 53

59. Margaret Avery, 82Source: Stewart Cook / Getty