An even more important thing is how they act after an incident. Do they pick themselves up? Do they give up? Do they grow stronger? It’s important for these things to be shown and written in a way that is true to who the character is at the core.

 In my opinion, character development is my FAVORITE thing about writing and reading or watching movies/tv shows. Seeing how characters change over time because of things that have happened to them is easily the most beautiful thing in the world to me. It’s very important to develop and change a character throughout the story.

 In 2008, Gurira appeared at the Global Green Sustainable Design Awards to read a letter written by a New Orleans native displaced by Hurricane Katrina. 

In 2011, Gurira co-founded Almasi Arts Inc., an organization dedicated to continuing arts education in Zimbabwe. Gurira currently serves as the Executive Artistic Director.

In 2015, Gurira signed an open letter begun by the ONE Campaign. The letter was addressed to Angela Merkel and Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, urging them to focus on women as they serve as the head of the G7 in Germany and the AU in South Africa respectively. The following year Gurira founded the non-profit organization Love Our Girls, which aims to highlight the issues and challenges that specifically affect women throughout the world. In 2016 Gurira partnered with Johnson & Johnson in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

“Danai Gurira is celebrating Ladies Day by ensuring her voice is heard. The playwright, actress, and activist made her way to the United Nations' Observance of International Women's Day in New York this morning—an event at which she was slated to speak—in modern warrior guise, her buzz cut paired with a swipe of unapologetically bold pink lipstick.

Gurira's career is one built on female empowerment, every move serving to pave the way for legions of females to follow.” -Vogue 

 “UN Women celebrated International Women’s Day by hosting a panel featuring Reese Witherspoon and Black Panther actress Danai Gurira – two Hollywood figures fighting for gender equity in their industry and beyond.

Gurira shared a tearful and powerful anecdote of her time meeting women in Liberia who had experienced sexual abuse and harassment.

“When I’ve sat in the presence of women and girls that have gone through things that I couldn’t even begin to imagine, all of them said to me no one had ever asked what had happened to them. That really got to me,” Gurira said. “At the time I was an extremely broke playwright who had a fundraising party and a friend said he’d match whatever I made, and I was able to pay my New York rent and go.”

She continued, “But now I’m in a different position, so now I have to go again, and I have to meet those girls face to face. So it’s about that circle closing because those girls have the potential, desire and resilience. If we don’t get up and do something practical in our various positions of power, she will not reach her greatness and her potential.”