In an ingenious social media move, actress and producer Gabrielle Union utilized the viral “We’re” TikTok trend to candidly address the less than glamorous truths about being a Black creative in Hollywood. With satire and somber realness, Union’s vulnerable share garnered immense support from her peers as it highlighted the systemic issues Black talents face in an industry where progression is still very much a work in progress. In the 51-year-old’s upload, she shares her experience as someone with decades of working in the entertainment industry, on and off-screen.
Making herself at home on the ‘gram, Union redecorated her lush lawn with stereotypical name mix-ups and box office successes deemed insignificant. “Of course I’ve been mistaken for Garcelle, Brandy, Ashanti, Sanaa, Nia, both Halles and both Reginas,” she quips in the beginning frames. Her quotable clips continue on to touch on ceased retirement funds and cue old age makeup that speak to Hollywood’s lack of adequate compensation and longevity for Black actresses.
In signature glam, Union faces the issue of code-switching head on stating, “I have mastered the art of communicating without communicating when we are around.” She ends her share with the cheeky yet declarative line, “My favorite phrase is, ‘Don’t f**k with my money,'” proving that while change is stillNeeded, she will continue championing for herself and others unapologetically.
Union’s creative TikTok squares up against the sobering statistics regarding the vast wage gap between Black actresses and other marginalized groups in comparison to their white, male counterparts.
Per a recent study conducted by the National Women’s Law Center, analysis showed that in 2020 alone “women were paid 83 cents for every dollar paid to men, with Black women paid only 63 cents and Latina women paid only 55 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men.”
With the perpetuation of these staggering divides, Union’s video operated as a sisterly signal boost to the ongoing outcries of her peers. Taraji P. Henson recently had a heart wrenching conversation on the matter with Gayle King, citing exhaustion with having to constantly prove her value and essentially rebuild her worth with each new milestone.
“I’m just tired of working so hard, being gracious at what I do, getting paid a fraction of the cost,” Henson explained. “I’m tired of hearing my sisters say the same thing over and over. You get tired. I hear people go, ‘You work a lot.’ I have to; the math ain’t mathin’.”
Union reinforced Henson’s validations writing in a tweet, “Not a damn lie told. We go TO BAT for the next generation and hell even our own generation and above. We don’t hesitate to be the change that we all need to see AND it takes a toll.”
By courageously pulling back the curtain on the less than illustrious side of being a Black creative, Union’s video operated as a meaningful conversation starter. In signature Gabrielle Union fashion, she continues to utilize her platform to amplify the voices and needs of not just herself, but also the greater community. While light work has been done, it is evident there are war after war and rooms within rooms for improvement that she and her peers are more than willing to fight.
