Gabrielle Union is sharing some of the lessons she’s learned after her controversial exit from “America’s Got Talent.”
The 47-year-old former talent judge advised the audience at a female empowerment and inclusivity panel on Monday, “Don’t be the happy negro that does the bidding of the status quo because you’re afraid.”
“Don’t allow them to call you angry when someone else is called passionate,” she continued, according to Variety. “It’s terrifying. There’s a solid chance you’ll lose your job … I speak from experience.”
In November, Union was fired from the talent competition show amid reports that the actress had been outspoken to producers about a joke Jay Leno said during a taping that she apparently found to be racially insensitive.
Sources also claimed that Union was criticized for her rotating hairstyles, which were allegedly deemed “too black” for the audience of “AGT.”
“Do your best because corporations want global dollars,” Union said at Monday’s panel. “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.”
Union also spoke about the difficulties of speaking out when being one of the only people of color in the room.
“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?” she said. “Are you going to say something? You know it’s wrong. Everyone knows it’s wrong.”
The power she got finding her voice and seeing “the world didn’t end,” helped her realize she was “doing the right thing.”
She added, “It just made it so much easier.”