Growing up, I was constantly told to “shhh!” Whether I was right or wrong, happy or in distress, I was repeatedly reminded to lower my voice and take up less space—even while being simultaneously assured that I could be anything I wanted to be and that my gifts were worth sharing with the world. Granted, I was a loud-ass kid (and occasionally still a loud-ass adult, if and when the moment warrants it), but though I’ve long since grown up, matured, successfully claimed my space and, yes, learned to temper my tones (sometimes to the point of a low murmur), the messaging often remains the same: Be quieter, more amenable, smaller, if possible—and it never ceases to cause at least the slightest blush of shame.
Perhaps this is why the reported circumstances of Gabrielle Union’s firing from America’s Got Talent are so triggering. A black woman asked to lend her talent, beauty and considerable following to yet another mass-produced and often generic TV franchise during its 14th season is told that the proven assets and integrity she brings to the production are “too black” and “difficult” to be a valued cast member. This, despite Union’s presence reportedly helping to boost the ratings of NBC’s otherwise well-exhausted format.
While Union was fired along with fellow female host Julianne Hough (who allegedly encountered some disturbing behavior of her own—a pattern that increasingly seems a rite of passage for women at NBCUniversal), her situation isn’t as simple as a matter of bad chemistry, salary disputes or even sexism in the workplace. In fact, to legions of black working women, reports of Union being told her hair was “too black” and being discouraged and dismissed when she dared address legitimate concerns of racism are painfully familiar and not at all unique.
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