Taraji P. Henson recently went viral for her emotional, honest comments about the toll that being constantly disrespected as a Black actress has taken on her. As she broke down in tears, the “Empire” star revealed the many costs that come with being a high-profile actress and how the unequal salaries of Black actresses make everything more difficult.
“I’m just tired of working so hard, being gracious at what I do, [and] getting paid a fraction of the cost,” she said. “I’m tired of hearing my sisters say the same thing over and over. You get tired. I hear people say ‘you work a lot!’ I have to. The math ain’t mathing. And when you start working a lot, you have a team. Big bills come with what we do, we don’t do this alone.”
Though she was backed up by Gabrielle Union, Keke Palmer and Robin Thede, a name that many wanted included in the conversation was Mo’Nique. The actress/comedian was the target of backlash in 2019 when she sued Netflix for presenting her with a “lowball offer” compared to what counterparts Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle and Amy Schumer received.
When Mo’Nique went public with her complaints, she was labeled just another “angry Black woman” and relentlessly mocked. Combined with her previous issues with Lee Daniels, Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey, the suit continued her “blackballed” status in the industry. Though she eventually reconciled with Daniels and is now working on 50 Cent’s Starz drama “BMF,” the Oscar winner’s career never truly recovered from the controversy.
With Henson’s comments once again shining a light on the pay disparities for Black actresses, social media wants Mo’Nique to receive her flowers for being at the forefront of the modern fight and essentially sacrificing her career for it. There are also questions about why the “Precious” star’s comments were met with so much venom while the ”Hidden Figures” actress’ feelings got a more sympathetic reaction.
Here’s the hard truth: Henson is more famous than Mo’Nique. This isn’t a knock against “The Parkers” star — it’s just a fact that Henson has more mainstream name recognition. This is also why Viola Davis’ thoughts on the issue have made the rounds lately. Also, as the Queen of Comedy herself pointed out, Hollywood doesn’t care about a fat Black woman’s feelings.
While it’s important that everyone is included in the pay inequality conversation, it’s essential that we keep the attention on the issue. Arguing about credit is an easy way for the powers that be to let the importance of the conversation fade away like it usually does.
