To some, it may seem like Tiffany Haddish swooped in from out of nowhere and landed right into comedic superstardom. But theGirls TripStar had been quietly plugging away and honing her craft with credits dating back to 2005.
From appearances on That's So Raven, Def Comedy Jam and The Carmichael Show, Haddish has worked her way to the top with no signs of slowing down. She is slated to host SNL this weekend in historic fashion as the first African-American comedienne to do so.
Photographer: Elton Anderson
In a recent interview with Creators of Color, Haddish addressed how being a person of color has had a positive impact on her career and has allowed her to play roles that initially were written for white women:
“Being a person of color has positively impacted a lot of things in my career. I have booked roles in movies that were meant for white women, but because I came through with so much character and personality, they ended up making it a black role. So then that allowed us to be seen in different light."
While some stars shy away from being cast as a role-model, Hadish seems to embrace this responsibility. When speaking on landing new roles, she also finds a way to crack the best kind of joke: you know, the ones where you're not sure if the person is serious or not? Here's her take on dreams and affirmative action:
“I feel like every time I get a job, you know, another little black girl's dreams may come true. Every time I get a job, affirmative action is working in reverse because on all my applications, I check that I'm a white woman. So I believe that I deserve every job that I go out for, and so then they believe that I'm white when they read the paperwork, and then I get the job."
I might use that tactic on my next application.
She also recognizes that she is breaking barriers for all women of color, and we love her for it. Her career just screams #blackgirlmagic:
“I think that being black has definitely created a lot of opportunities for others of my skin tone, but also it has made me beautiful..."
You ARE beautiful, Tiffany! Thank you for the laughs and the positive example you are setting for women all over the globe!
Check out her exclusive photo shoot by Creators of Color and tune in this Saturday as she hosts SNL for the first time. Winning!
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While speaking to xoNecole, Eva shares that she’s a lot like the beloved 1994 character in many ways. “Lyric is so me. She's the odd flower. A flower nonetheless, but definitely not a peony,” she tells us.
“She's not the average flower you see presented, and so she reminds me of myself. I'm a sunflower, beautiful, but different. And what I loved about her character then, and even more so now, is that she was very sure of herself.
"Sure of what she wanted in life and okay to sacrifice her moments right now, to get what she knew she deserved later. And that is me. I'm not an instant gratification kind of a person. I am a long game. I'm not a sprinter, I'm a marathon.
America first fell in love with Eva when she graced our screens on cycle 3 of America’s Next Top Model in 2004, which she emerged as the winner. Since then, she's ventured into different avenues, from acting on various TV series like House of Payne to starring on Real Housewives of Atlanta.
Je-Caryous Johnson Entertainment
Eva praises her castmates and the play’s producer, Je’Caryous for her positive experience. “You know what? Je’Caryous fuels my audacity car daily, ‘cause I consider myself an extremely audacious woman, and I believe in what I know, even if no one else knows it, because God gave it to me. So I know what I know. That is who Je’Caryous is.”
But the mom of three isn’t the only one in the family who enjoys acting. Eva reveals her daughter Marley has also caught the acting bug.
“It is the most adorable thing you can ever see. She’s got a part in her school play. She's in her chorus, and she loves it,” she says. “I don't know if she loves it, because it's like, mommy does it, so maybe I should do it, but there is something about her.”
Overall, Eva hopes that her contribution to the role and the play as a whole serves as motivation for others to reach for the stars.
“I want them to walk out with hope. I want them to re-vision their dreams. Whatever they were. Whatever they are. To re-see them and then have that thing inside of them say, ‘You know what? I'm going to do that. Whatever dream you put on the back burner, go pick it up.
"Whatever dream you've accomplished, make a new dream, but continue to reach for the stars. Continue to reach for what is beyond what people say we can do, especially as [a] Black collective but especially as Black women. When it comes to us and who we are and what we accept and what we're worth, it's not about having seen it before. It's about knowing that I deserve it.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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Motherhood is one thing, but Black motherhood is its own unique institution. From fears that only Black mothers can understand to the unspoken language that connects them, our series delve into the vulnerable conversations that are often not highlighted in mainstream media.
Laurencia Bright
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“They are products of their environment, of your parenting, of your personality, things like that. So check yourself,” Laurencia reminds us. Motherhood may come with a whole set of challenges and having to face yourself can be one of them. Laurencia opens up about how motherhood taught her to break generational cycles.
Joy Ferrell
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Joy, like most mothers, put their kids first. However, the mom of two is now learning that it's okay to put herself first. "It's okay to not fill your life up with your kids," she says. "It's okay to still be an individual and to actually actively and aggressively pursue being an individual versus a mom."
Michelle Ganey
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When it comes to Black mama rules, Michelle Ganey reflects on a classic one, "Do not embarrass me in public," she says. "I think one of my hardest struggles with kids is not caring about how they look when they leave the house and it feeling like its a direct reflection on me as a mother."
Watch the full The Mother Load series below:
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Feature image by xoNecole YouTube/ Screenshot