I talk quite a bit about following your conscience. I promise you, trying to fit into someone else’s shoes is uncomfortable for someone who struggles with mental health. This is especially true when you feel the burden to do something that you know others might not support. We’ve had this discussion before when we talked about Colin Kaepernick and how he chose to take a stand by taking a knee. He was aware of the backlash he might receive before he took a knee for the first time during the national anthem. However, he let peace guide his decision. In other words, he had to do what others who must make similar controversial moral or ethic decisions must do. He had to ask himself, “will I be able to live with myself if I don’t follow my heart?”
Well… Here we go again. If you’ve been under a rock I would like to introduce you to what could be turning into the entertainment industry’s equivalent of Take a Knee..Monique versus Netflix. So why is Monique mad? Monique is asking people to boycott Netflix because Netflix will not pay her a salary comparable to that of her white female counterpart, Amy Schumer.
So where do I stand in this battle between Netflix and Monique? I must admit. When I first heard of her call to boycott Netflix and the financial dispute that prompted her request, I thought to myself, “Monique…girl, if you don’t take that money and sit down!”
But that was before I heard her interview on The Tom Joyner Morning Show where she gives 3 important reasons to support her boycott.
Here is what she said.
1. This is not a rich person‘s fight. This is a fight for equality. In this point, Monique compares what she’s doing with what other revolutionaries have done in the past. She compares herself to Harriet Tubman, Fannie Lou Hamer and Martin Luther King, Jr. She believes she’s fighting for something as equally important as the names listed above.
2. What would you do?
She asks potential supporters of her cause to consider the following. If your job offered you less money than your white counterparts would you take the offer, walk away, or would you fight for more money?
3. Know your worth.
On paper and within certain communities Monique is extremely successful. In fact she calls herself the most decorated of all living African-American comedians. Has she won an Oscar? Yes. Has she starred in multiple films? Yes. Has she sold out concert halls and comedy clubs? Yes. Whether or not you agree with her claim, you must admit that Monique is definitely accomplished.
If you consider her position and the key points to her argument listed above, where do you stand on this feud? In order to make an informed decision about how I feel about Monique vs. Netflix, I asked myself these three questions.
1. Do I want to make a contribution toward social change?
2. Am I willing to fight for injustice and am I willing to make sacrifices during the fight?
3. Do I want others to respect how I quantify my worth?
After careful reflection, I agree with Monique. However, I’m not going to boycott Netflix. I hope that she can find another option to have her supporters show solidarity.
No one knows how long this controversy is going to last or the way it’s going to end. In the meantime, instead of condemning Monique, let’s celebrate her courage for following her heart. She might not have the support of the entire African-American community, but at least she’s at peace with her decision to speak out. She is sacrificing her professional career so that Black women might have a better financial stake in the future of Hollywood. Monique is attempting to move toward change, and in that regard, we can press on together.
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