Queen Latifah Cosigns Taraji P. Henson’s Equal Pay Fight At NAACP Image Awards

Queen Latifah thanks Taraji P. Henson and her fight for on equal pay while hosting the 55th NAACP Image Awards.

Queen Latifah added her voice to the fight for equal pay for Black actresses. While hosting the 55th NAACP Image Awards on March 16, the entertainer thanked Taraji P. Henson for speaking out on the issue.

Queen Latifah used her platform to urge others to join the push for pay equality for Black actresses, which Henson has been advocating for in the past year. During the ceremony, Queen Latifah addressed how inflation in their pay has yet to be seen. Deadline Hollywood reposted the footage.

Queen Latifah: “You know what’s not feeling inflation?”

Taraji P. Henson: “Equal pay for Black actresses”#NAACPImageAwards pic.twitter.com/qDqmcQMqA3
— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) March 17, 2024

“It’s no secret we are facing some seriously pivotal issues. Everyone’s talking about inflation. You know what’s not feeling inflation,” the host asked the crowd.

“Equal pay for Black actresses,” responded Henson to the camera.

Audience members immediately erupted into applause as Queen Latifah praised her fellow actress for advocating on their behalf.

“Thank you, Taraji, for standing up for all of us,” she said.

The unifying moment continued as the Equalizer star asked the Black actresses in the audience to stand up and be recognized.

“You know what, Taraji? As a matter of fact, if you are a Black actress in this room, would you please stand up?” asked the host.

Actresses Quinta Brunson, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and others got out of their seats as the 54-year-old expressed her gratitude to the women who helped shape Black Hollywood.

“Thank you so much for working so hard and representing us,” Queen Latifah praised. She then asked the rest of the crowd to stand up in support of the actresses.

“Support us. Join us. Because it’s you who stand next to us every day. We know this and we want to say thank you.”

Henson’s acknowledgment came after her reveal last year that she still experienced pay inequality despite her success, even with The Color Purple. She tearfully exposed the discrepancy while promoting the movie and has remained a prominent voice in the wage gap fight.

Upon winning Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Motion Picture for her role as Shug Avery in the film, Henson thanked her fellow actresses and community for allowing her to speak her truth.

“I just want to thank you guys so much for showing up for me all the time, not just to the box office or watching what I’m in but y’all saw what happened and y’all showed up, you showed out, you showed me love,” said Henson in the emotional speech. “It’s a scary thing to speak your truth but I urge you all to speak your truth because at the end of the day that’s all we have…And like they say, the truth will set you free. And not only that, it will set somebody else free.”