Gabrielle Union Urges Others
to Fight the 'Status Quo'.
Union recently alluded to her controversial
firing from ‘America’s Got Talent’ during a female
empowerment and inclusivity panel in New York. .
Don’t allow them to call you angry when
someone else is called passionate. It’s terrifying.
There’s a solid chance you’ll lose your job …
I speak from experience. , Gabrielle Union, via 'Variety'.
Union continued, urging people to fight
against the “bidding of the status quo” and
hold people accountable for their actions.
Do your best to try to hold the door open
and hold people responsible. Yeah, I’m asking
you to do the impossible … I’m fully aware that
job loss is on the table … but if you’re not
doing it, nobody is, Gabrielle Union, via 'Variety'.
She then spoke about being a
black woman in the industry
and the difficulty of choosing
authenticity or assimilation.
Being the chip in the cookie, you are always
in this situation where you are seeing things,
hearing things … and you’re presented with
a choice: what kind of chip am I going to be?
Are you going to assimilate and allow all of this
to go on? Or are you going to say something
and immediately be other-ed?, Gabrielle Union, via 'Variety'.
For Union, taking the lead and
refusing to be a “follower” is a
risky but necessary step forward. .
When you’re a follower, often you’re not being
led by the right person … I’d rather lead, even if
I don’t know where the hell I’m going … As long
as I have air in my lungs, I will always try to
cover us all and I will certainly try to center the
needs of the most marginalized, Gabrielle Union, via 'Variety'