Noticing the lack of community and dedicated support for young Black writers, identical twin sisters Anais and Mirabelle Lee ’29 set out to change that. Both believe that not enough is being done to empower the next generation of Black writers, who are essential in telling Black stories and amplifying unheard voices and narratives.

The Lee twins have been acting since the age of five, which shaped their strong desire to see more Black stories told and represented on the big screen.

“Growing up in the entertainment industry, I have always been drawn to creating and telling stories,” Anais said, beaming as she and her twin reflected on their experiences as young actresses.

The Lee twins got their start in television in the crime thriller “Blood Ties,” where they shared the role of Janie. Over the years, they have continued to grow in their craft, with Anais playing Jessie in the Netflix comedy drama “The Babysitters Club,” and Mirabelle playing Sonia in the Disney coming-of-age series “Saturdays.” They also shared a role in the music video for The Weeknd’s hit song “Die For You.”

Apart from acting, both sisters model and share a love for storytelling. Mirabelle is also a recognized screenwriter, receiving an honorable mention for “Best Short Script” at the Indie Short Fest. 

In 2023, the Lee twins co-founded Black Writers of Tomorrow (BWOT) with fellow actor Kolby Mitchell to empower young Black creatives to reach their full potential and become aware of future possibilities.

BWOT hosts bi-monthly sessions that engage their members in writing exercises, expose them to the work of renowned Black writers and encourage emerging writers to collaborate with others through group writing.

“Through BWOT, I have gained a web of international friends and collaborators who are here to support one another in anything, be it writing-related or not,” Julia Weston, a member of the BWOT community, said. “We care for each other here. The group is built on a foundation of passion and joy, which allows us to have fun with one another while simultaneously improving as artists.” 

BWOT makes a conscious effort to instill confidence in its community members and help them realize their fullest potential. 

“Young Black writers need opportunity — plain and simple,” Mirabelle said. “It is one thing to say you want diversity, but it is another thing to give them the green light to create it. We need more people to take young Black writers seriously and believe in their stories, not only verbally but financially as well, so we can see these stories on our screens and shelves.”

The same year they started BWOT, the Lee sisters also started their nonprofit, The Beatrice Martin Foundation, with the mission to advance literacy and foster a love of reading and writing among underprivileged youth of diverse backgrounds. According to Anais, they have donated over 1,000 books to various shelters, schools and libraries.

“We have always been involved in philanthropy, so we have had the idea to start a foundation for quite some time now. With the help of our parents and grandmother, the Beatrice Martin Foundation was born,” Mirabelle said.

The nonprofit is named after their late great-great-grandmother, Beatrice Martin Hawkins, who instilled a love of reading in the twins’ grandmother — a habit that was passed down to their mother and then to them.

“Her legacy of the importance of reading and education has been passed down throughout generations of women in my family, encouraging us all to fill our minds with as many stories and experiences as we can find,” Mirabelle said.

Now starting their first year at Stanford, the twin sisters are optimistic about their experience on the Farm. Anais chose Stanford because of its ambitious and collaborative student body. Mirabelle sees Stanford as the “best place to learn in a way that works best for her” after watching online lectures of Stanford professors. 

“I hope that I can learn outside of my comfort zone at Stanford, and dip my toes into areas that I haven’t explored yet,” Mirabelle said. 

While they both plan to major in communication, they also hope to explore fields outside of their usual creative interests, such as media and entertainment law. “Though this may sound a little cliché, I might indulge in Stanford’s startup culture as well,” Anais said.

Mirabelle and Anais hope to start a chapter of BWOT at Stanford and have more students join them on their mission. They aim to expand their efforts to advance literacy and empower minority creatives during their time on campus and after.