Here's Why Nia Long Is Done Letting Men Get Rich Off Of Her
Working women across all industries have one thing in common: most of the time we aren't getting paid the same as our male counterparts.
This past year alone we've seen more women, particularly in Hollywood, speak out against pay equality. But when is all of this talk going to actually turn into bigger paydays?
From Hollywood to corporate America and everywhere else in between, men are getting rich utilizing the gifts and talents of women without compensating them fairly. Some would say that's the nature of business, but actress Nia Long spoke out about the issue recently when she appeared at an event for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
The 47-year-old actress has been in the game as long as most of can remember (27 years and counting), but her tenure hasn't come without the same disadvantages many women, and particularly women of color, face when it comes to getting our just due. She told the Associated Press:
"I have watched a lot of men get rich off of the films that I've done and I was being paid peanuts."
From Boyz n tha Hood, Love Jones, The Best Man and Friday, many of us have grown up watching Long for as long as we can remember, no pun intended. She is perhaps the most name-dropped woman in all of hip-hop, yet she still has to ask for her deserved market rate.
While her work is a glowing example of what representation can look like in Hollywood, this inclusion doesn't always include fair compensation. The actress says that when she has spoken out about this disparity, she was labeled "difficult", despite the fact that she has more than earned her place as one of Hollywood's most recognizable Black actresses. She says:
"When I requested or wanted more, I was considered difficult, outspoken, entitled, and all of the things that should not be used to describe a woman who has earned her space, her place and delivers. And that just doesn't apply to me, that's for everyone."
These conversations are starting to feel like broken records. Why aren't men considered "difficult" or "entitled" when they speak up for themselves when it's time to cut the check? At this point, the wage gap seems to be as American as apple pie.
In 2018, Black women still only earn roughly 40% less than their white male counterparts for the same exact jobs. Nia said:
"I think we are talking about it. Women are more inclined to have those in-the-kitchen conversations with one another where we can just talk freely about all the things that we've been shamed [for]."
The actress goes on to say that pay inequality is just another topic on the long list of things women are not supposed to talk about. We are supposed to grin and bear it all; we're expected to suffer in silence. But if we continue to do this, how can we expect anything to change?
"We're not supposed to talk about mental health. We're not supposed to talk about even our physical health. We're supposed to present ourselves in this way of perfection, but the reality is we're human and we raise children. We make children. We do all of the things in the home and go to work. So, the pendulum has to swing the other way at some point."
The more we talk about these inequalities, the more likely things will have to change. And while we have made considerable strides overall, like Gabrielle Union said in a recent Instagram post dedicated to her friend Nia Long, we have so much further to go.
So, speak up when it's your time, ladies. We are paving the pay equality way for our daughters and future generations of women!
Featured image by Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com
Michelle Schmitz is a writer and editor based in Washington, DC originally from Ft Lauderdale, FL. A self-described ambivert, you can find her figuring out ways to read more than her monthly limit of The New York Times, attending concerts, and being a badass, multi-tasking supermom. She also runs her own blog MichelleSasha.com. Keep up with her latest moves on IG: @michellesashawrites and Twitter: @michellesashas
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Stress Awareness Month: Sneaky Workplace Triggers Affecting Black Women, And How To Cope
We all know about the major stress triggers of everyday life, from relationship woes to monthly bills to unexpected emergencies, but there are small, subtle triggers that impact Black women in a big way, especially when it comes to work. It’s good to be aware of these sneaky stressors in order to maximize your day and find ways to incorporate solutions into your self-care routines.
Since it’s Stress Awareness Month, we caught up with Keanne Owens, LCSW, founder of Journey To Harmony Therapy Center, to talk about these triggers and what Black women can do to manage and cope.
Owens is an experienced South Florida-based counselor and social worker who offers her services via Grow Therapy, a therapy and medication management platform. She has worked with Black women professionals to unpack issues related to workplace stressors. “One is the pressure to perform–having to meet deadlines and deliverables. And a lot of times, these subtle stressors from performance are put upon ourselves as Black women. We want to make sure we’re doing our best. We don’t want to be critiqued in certain ways.”
Excessive micromanagement leading to fear of overly critical bosses is another subtle trigger that can negatively impact Black women in the workplace.
“Whenever something is done wrong, or we experience some type of injustice and have to report it, it’s the fear of retaliation–[fear that] we won’t be taken seriously or [our words] will be taken out of context because of being deemed as the ‘angry Black woman,’” she said.
Black Women And Workplace Stress Triggers
Her sentiments are backed by research. A recent report by Coqual found that 28% of Black women (compared to 17% of White men) say their supervisor uses “excessive control or attention to detail” when managing them. There’s more: A survey by the National Employment Law Project found that Black workers were “more likely to have concerns (80 percent) and twice as likely as white workers (18 percent) to have unresolved concerns at work, with 39 percent reporting they were “not satisfied with the employer’s response or did not raise concerns for fear of retaliation.”
The survey also found that 14 percent of Black respondents said they “avoided raising concerns to their employer for fear of retaliation—more than twice the average rate of 6 percent for all survey respondents.”
Owens pointed to the fact that these subtle stress triggers can negatively impact our physical health and our career advancement. “A lot of time it’ll affect our productivity,” Owens added. “We start to have negative thoughts of ourselves. The stressors can also cause fatigue. We’re no longer meeting or working up to our desired potential.” Other challenges as a result include insomnia and increased insolation, withdrawal, and lack of motivation to apply for jobs or promotions even when qualified.
valentinrussanov/Getty Images
How To Manage Subtle Stress Triggers
While there are systemic issues at play for Black women at work that has less to do with us and more to do with major overhauls that must be addressed by the powers that be, there are steps we can take for the betterment of ourselves and our mental health. Owens offered the following tips:
Tap into a support system, whether it’s a coworker you trust, a family member, an organization, or an outlet like a hobby.
Create a good work-life balance before burnout even starts. “Having certain boundaries [is the goal] such as, for example, if you get off at 5, you get off at 5. If your job description is this, you don’t go above and beyond because that brings you to a lot of burnout,” Owens said.
Prioritize self-care, whatever that means for you. “If you don’t have a routine, create one. Practice mindfulness and even some meditation,” she added.
Create structure in your life outside of work. “Even if you have a family, applying some structure in your routine helps relieve stress,” she said.
Get into grounding techniques. “Do a real quick square breathing exercise, that’s literally 30 seconds, or you can do a grounding technique that’s less than two minutes, right there where you are. You don’t need any other materials. That’s something you can do with just yourself and your body.”
Ask for help. “As Black women, we don’t ask for help enough,” she said. “Find where you need to ask for help. A lot of times, people think that’s indicative of weakness, but we need to rewrite that narrative. It’s okay to ask for help where you see fit. [If] you’re a mom, [it could be] every Wednesday from 5 to 6, your children are with the dad. You have to carve out that time.”
For more information on Grow Therapy, visit their website. You can also find out more about Keanne Owens, LCSW, via BeginYourJourneyToHarmony.com.
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Featured image by Charday Penn/Getty Images