Brockton High School
by Rafael Pena

March 18, 2024

From Excellence To Violence: A Massachusetts High School’s Troubled Journey

Brockton High School has found itself embroiled in a crisis of discipline and safety.

Once hailed as a beacon of educational success, Brockton High School in Massachusetts has found itself embroiled in a crisis of discipline and safety, according to the New York Post, which has prompted a mass exodus of students.

Just over a decade ago, the halls of Brockton echoed with pride and accomplishment. A 2009 Harvard University study lauded the school’s transformation, highlighting how dedicated educators had turned it into one of the nation’s highest-performing public schools. Teachers rallied, reshaping the curriculum to emphasize essential skills across all subjects, heralding a new era of academic achievement.

“We used to have a timeframe where people were traveling from across the world to come and observe how we manage a large school as well as we do,” Cliffa Canavan, a math teacher with Brockton for more than two decades, told the Post. “Things have changed.”

Brockton’s decline is based on one factor. Schools superintendent Mike Thomas pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic as a significant factor, exacerbating existing issues within the community. With a majority of students coming from low-income families, the pandemic’s economic toll hit particularly hard, amplifying mental health struggles and behavioral challenges.

Thomas also blamed legislative changes. The passage of Massachusetts’ Chapter 222 student disciplinary law in 2012 restricted administrators’ ability to suspend students, leaving educators feeling powerless to maintain order without adequate resources for alternative interventions.

The consequences of these systemic failures are stark. Violence has allegedly become alarmingly commonplace, with students engaging in premeditated fights and forming fight clubs. Parents like Kyanna Washington have been forced to make agonizing decisions to protect their children.

“I wouldn’t let my daughter go there,” Washington lamented. “You couldn’t tell who was fighting who.”

Enrollment has plummeted, with nearly 500 students fleeing Brockton since 2020. Racial disparities persist, further eroding the school’s social fabric.

Efforts to address the crisis, such as requesting the National Guard’s assistance, show the gravity of the situation. While some achievements, like recent academic accolades, offer glimmers of hope, they pale in comparison to Brockton’s pervasive challenges.

RELATED CONTENT: Massachusetts Becomes Latest State To Propose Baby Bonds

Dr. Dre, Brain Aneurysm, stroke, Hollywood Walk of Fame,
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

March 18, 2024

Dr. Dre Appreciates ‘Being Alive’ After Suffering Three Strokes From 2021 Brain Aneurysm

"Next thing you know, I’m blacking out. I’m in and out of consciousness, and I ended up in the ICU. I was there for two weeks," Dre shared. "I’m hearing the doctors coming in and [saying,] 'You don’t know how lucky you are.'"

Dr. Dre is opening up about the newfound appreciation for life he developed after suffering three strokes following his 2021 brain aneurysm.

The hip-hop mogul sat down for a candid chat on SiriusXM’s This Life of Mine with James Corden, where he went back three years to recall the “three strokes” he experienced after being hospitalized for a brain aneurysm. The traumatic health scare helped Dre (real name Andre Young) “appreciate being alive” more than he ever had before.

The Death Row Records co-founder was home spending time with his son when he felt a strange feeling behind his “right ear” that soon developed into “the worst pain” he’d ever encountered.

“I got up and I went on about my day, and I thought that I could just lay down and take a nap. My son had a female friend that was there and was like, ‘No, we need to take you to the hospital,'” Dre recalled.

After stopping at an urgent care, staff told the Beats By Dre creator that his condition was too “serious” and he needed to go to a hospital.

“Next thing you know, I’m blacking out. I’m in and out of consciousness, and I ended up in the ICU. I was there for two weeks,” Dre shared. “I’m hearing the doctors coming in and [saying,] ‘You don’t know how lucky you are.'”

Considering Dre’s love for fitness and maintaining his physical health, he wondered if there was more he could’ve done to prevent the aneurysm. However, he soon learned how hereditary the condition is for Black men.

“Nobody could give me an answer. I had no idea that I had high blood pressure or anything like that because I’m on my health s—. I’m lifting weights, I’m running, I’m doing everything I can to keep myself healthy,” Dre said.

“High blood pressure in Black men, that’s just what it is. They call it the silent killer. You just have no idea, so you know, you have to keep your s— checked.”

He left the hospital with a newfound appreciation for life. Buthe didn’t make any drastic lifestyle changes since the aneurysm was something he “has no control” over and “could happen out of the blue.”

Dre wasn’t in clear after the health scare, and he encountered three separate strokes in the two weeks following his aneurysm.

“It’s just something that you can’t control that just happens and during those two weeks, I had three strokes,” he said.

Dr. Dre bounced back one year later with a legendary Super Bowl halftime performance that featured himself, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, Mary J. Blige, and Kendrick Lamar. Last month he took home the inaugural Global Impact Award at the Grammys ahead of receiving his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on March 19.

RELATED CONTENT: Dr. Dre Slated To Receive Star On Hollywood Walk Of Fame

Sanya Richards-Ross, Jamaica, olympics
by Stacy Jackson

March 18, 2024

Sanya Richards-Ross Shares Why She Ran For USA, Not Jamaica

The four-time Olympic gold medalist said when she left Jamaica, she adapted to the American culture and decided to stay with Team USA.

Despite her roots in Jamaica, retired Olympic track and field champion Sanya Richards-Ross’s unwavering allegiance to Team USA over her native country, a direct rival in the track and field realm, has polarized opinions for years. Now, at 39, the sprint icon has shed light on the rationale underpinning the pivotal decision.

Richards-Ross fully adapted to American culture following a move from her homeland in Kingston, Jamaica. According to Pulse Sports, the legendary sprinter began running at the tender age of seven, representing her Kingston school, Vaz Prep, in annual youth championships. She moved to Florida with her family at 12 years old, with hopes of expanding her opportunities and landing a scholarship at an American university.

“Of course, when we were leaving Jamaica, I didn’t want to go,” she said.

When she was 16, the young competitor was invited by the U.S. junior team to compete at the Junior nationals. “At that point, I had been in the States for four years, all my friends are American, I had pretty much adapted to the culture here, but I went to sign up, and she was like, ‘Oh, we need your passport’,” Richards-Ross explained.

Determined to compete alongside her peers, Richards-Ross persuaded her parents to expedite their path to American citizenship. “It wasn’t until I made that decision that I realized, ‘Oh sh*t! Excuse me girl, what are you doing?'” she admitted. The sprinter became part of Team USA, and decided to stay.

The opportunity to don the red, white, and blue over Jamaica brought Richards-Ross numerous lucrative prospects. “To get the partnership deals I got and just, all of the things that I was able to benefit from, being an American Citizen and running for Team USA I think was the best decision for me,” she stated.

Richards-Ross reigned supreme in the 400m world rankings from 2005 to 2009 and again in 2012, etching her name in history by setting the American record at 48.70 seconds in 2006. Her prowess earned her the IAAF Female World Athlete of the Year accolade in 2006 and 2009, and she boasts an unparalleled record of 49 sub-50-second sprints throughout her illustrious career.

The former Team USA sprinter hasn’t abandoned her Jamaican roots. Richards-Ross took her family to Jamaica in 2023 to celebrate the sixth birthday of her oldest son, Aaron Jermaine Ross II, aka “Deuce,” who she shares with husband Aaron Ross.

The Real Housewives of Atlanta star hosted her castmates in her homeland during a three-episode vacation in 2022. According to Caribbean National Weekly, the reality stars stayed at the newest five-star hotel in Jamaica, Ocean Eden Bay, visited the track at the National Stadium, and explored several other parts of the island.

In 2012, she visited Vaz Preparatory to speak to the student body and make a $10,000 donation to her alma mater, Jamaica Gleaner reported.

RELATED CONTENT: Sanya Richards-Ross Goes for the Gold in Her Career, Business and Personal Life

Team, investment, tips, capital, money,, Wisdom Kaye
by Janell Hazelwood

March 18, 2024

3 Tips For Raising Capital

Black female entrepreneurs are the highest growing group of business owners, yet there have always been great challenges when it comes to getting capital to help their businesses expand and prosper.

Originally Published Mar. 6, 2018.

Black female entrepreneurs are the fastest-growing group of business owners, yet they have always faced great challenges in getting capital to help their businesses expand and prosper.

Funding Circle, a peer-to-peer lending platform where investors can lend money directly to small- and medium-sized businesses, has helped thousands of entrepreneurs secure financing needed to grow their businesses, increase staff, and support their local communities. (In fact, BLACK ENTERPRISE  featured one  entrepreneur who got her mobile dentistry venture off the ground to help underserved patients in Chicago.)

“When we started Funding Circle, the aspiration was to provide fairly priced term credit to high-quality entrepreneurs all over the country and all over the world. Women and minority entrepreneurs are certainly very underserved,” said Sam Hodges, the platform’s then-managing director and co-founder.

“Our vision for Funding Circle is to build a virtual platform that makes it very easy and straightforward for any entreprenuer anywhere to come, and with a few simple questions determine whether they are eligible for a loan between $25,000 and $500,000. What we found is for many of our entrepreneurs that’s exactly the sweet spot they need—they can reinvest that into their business. One thing we’re very proud of as we look around the universe of entrepreneurs that we’ve helped is that a substantial portion of them are minorities and are women.”

BE talked with Hodges about tips for budding entrepreneurs and how they can set themselves in the right direction in building businesses that are both sound and attractive for investment.

Keep good books and financial records.

“As a business owner, oftentimes you want to focus on customer and product, but the reality is in order to explain your business to an investor or a lender such as ourselves, people want to understand what’s going on with the business,” Hodges says. “Making sure your bookkeeping and accounting is in order is important.”

Scale your expansion and consider the competitive opportunities and financial resources that are available.

“We’ve seen entrepreneurs get ahead of themselves. They have a great idea, but they burn through too much capital quickly and then get into challenging situations,” Hodges says. “[Evaluate] the lifespan and discipline depending on the growth rate and on the opportunity you’re pursuing.”

Ensure your business is healthy and has a solid plan for expansion.

“[Be able to] show revenue traction, where there’s some level of revenue stability,” Hodges says. “The difference between equity and debt—you obviously have to make payments on [a loan], so if a business isn’t cash-flowing yet, that can be quite challenging.”

Bring great people into your business. “That’s not really a specific valuation factor, but in our experience in what we’ve seen in the hosts of businesses we’ve helped and that are doing well, great entrepreneurs attract great people.”

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Federal Correctional Institution, Dublin
by Daniel Johnson

March 18, 2024

Judge To Appoint Special Master Due To Alleged Abuse At California Women’s Prison

The FBI raided the federal prison in California during the week of March 12.

U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled on March 15 that she would appoint a special master to oversee the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, California. As the Associated Press reported, the ruling marks the first time that the Federal Bureau of Prisons has required direct oversight. 

According to Judge Rogers’ ruling, “The situation can no longer be tolerated. The facility is in dire need of immediate change.”

Rogers added that the Bureau of Prisons has “proceeded sluggishly with intentional disregard of the inmates’ constitutional rights despite being fully apprised of the situation for years. The repeated installation of BOP leadership who fail to grasp and address the situation strains credulity.”

The ruling comes following an investigation into the Dublin facility from the AP, which discovered numerous instances of sexual abuse of incarcerated women coming from as high up as the warden of the facility. 

According to the AP’s investigation, four were arrested, which they said indicated a larger problem at the Bureau of Prisons. At the time, Thahesha Jusino, who took over the position of warden in February 2022, promised she would “work tirelessly to reaffirm the Bureau of Prisons’ zero tolerance for sexual abuse and sexual harassment.”

Despite Jusino’s assertion, eight incarcerated people filed a lawsuit in August 2023, assisted by the California Coalition for Women Prisoners, an advocacy group. The lawsuit alleges that the sexual abuse of women at the facility did not stop even though several officers and the former warden at the facility had been prosecuted. Jusino was replaced as warden.

Emily Shapiro, a member of the California Coalition for Women Prisoners, released a statement on March 15, declaring that people who want change can push for it, even if they happen to be incarcerated people. 

“This unprecedented decision on the need for oversight shows that courageous incarcerated people, community and dedicated lawyers can collectively challenge the impunity of the federal government and Bureau of Prisons.”

The federal prison was raided by the FBI during the week of March 12, and in a press release, Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28) said that the human rights of the incarcerated need to be protected. As a result of the raid, the new warden, Art Dulgov, who had taken over for Jusino, was removed.

“I am gratified the FBI and BOP have taken significant and appropriate actions to hold officials accountable at the federal correctional facility in Dublin. A recent FBI investigation of the facility shed light on a toxic culture enabling years of sexual misconduct by employees, with 5 pleading guilty to associated charges and 2 convicted by juries of everyday Californians. Every American, in every interaction they have with the criminal justice system, must be guaranteed access to basic human rights and dignity, including freedom from abuse.”

As ABC 7 reported, the FBI also seized computers and documents at the facility during the raid. Both Shapiro and former U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier want the Department of Justice to get involved with the FBI’s investigation. Per an email from the FBOP, a new warden has already been installed.

“Consistent with unprecedented and ongoing actions by FBOP leadership to create a positive change in the culture at FCI Dublin, recent developments have necessitated new executive employees be installed at the institution,” a spokesperson told the outlet via email. “We can confirm N.T. McKinney has been assigned as the interim Warden at FCI Dublin effective immediately.”

According to Steven Clark, a legal analyst, the seizure represents an escalation by the FBI, and signals a desire to get to the bottom of the alleged corruption at the facility. Clark told ABC 7, “The feds are casting a very wide net here to look into this prison and all of the corruption that occurred there, and I think that’s why they want to look at all the records and computers of the individuals at the prison because they don’t want to just rely on information from the inmates.”

Rogers toured the facility personally on Valentine’s Day, and on her tour, she found that the description of the facility in the lawsuit did not match previous descriptions.

“The truth is somewhere in the middle—allegations of sexual misconduct have lingered but to characterize it as pervasive goes too far,” Rogers wrote. “However, and as the Court finds herein, because of its inability to promptly investigate the allegations that remain, and the ongoing retaliation against incarcerated persons who report misconduct, BOP has lost the ability to manage with integrity and trust.”

RELATED CONTENT: Transgender Woman Inmate With Manparts Impregnates Two Females In Prison

work meeting, meetings, email, Southern Black Girls, Women's Consortium, dream fund
by Safon Floyd

March 18, 2024

6 Tips To Quickly End Work Meeting

Meetings are not always pleasant. Here's a few ways to get through them expeditiously.

Originally Published Aug. 2, 2016

If there is one aspect of the workday that most employees would agree is an absolute pain, it’s countless, pointless, roundabout, inconclusive; why didn’t you just email this info, meetings. Meetings are the bane of many workers’ existence, and if they all could be completely done away with without affecting workflow, many would agree.

We live in a not-perfect world, however, so meetings it is. The least we can do is put a protocol in place that must be strictly adhered to, to ensure that meetings don’t someday destroy us. That protocol can be found below.

Timeliness

If the meeting is scheduled to start at 1 p.m., guess when it shouldn’t begin—1:05. Start on time every time. This will train attendees to arrive on time, eliminating late stragglers and a waste of time. If the meeting is set to end at 1:30 p.m., let that set time be the latest. There is work to be done and planning of the workday often revolves around that valuable time spent away.

Define the agenda

Before starting the meeting, know exactly what the purpose of the meeting is and what you hope to accomplish by the end. Have a tight agenda for attendees to follow so that everyone may come prepared and leave knowing the next steps.

Clear calls to action

Each meeting attendee should leave the meeting knowing exactly what needs to be done for things to move forward. Avoid vagueness. Be clear, concise, and direct about what’s expected after the meeting, and offer tight, agreed-upon, deadlines.

Avoid redundancies

State it. Mean it. Clarify if need be, and move forward. Repeating yourself over and over to drive a point home and/or repeating what someone else has already stated simply to hear yourself speak is counterproductive, annoying, and highly discouraged. If someone arrives late to the meeting and must be caught up on what has already been discussed, set aside a later time to do so.

Put your phones away

It’s distracting, it’s rude, and it more than likely can wait until the meeting is over. If you aren’t using your phone to take meeting notes, give it a rest. The person conducting the meeting surely would like your undivided attention. The better you pay attention, the quicker the points are made, the faster the meeting is over.

Consider email

Ask yourself if the meeting is absolutely necessary. If what you’re addressing in the meeting can be handled with a group email and replies, opt for this means of communication. Schedules are tight, employees are busy, and time is valuable. Respect it.

Have any tips of your own to tighten work meetings up? Please do share. We all could use your help.

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Rural Hospitals, urgent care, healthcare, medical facilities
by Daniel Johnson

March 18, 2024

Rural Hospitals Face Choice Between Closing Or Becoming Urgent Care Facilities

Some residents in these rural communities feel abandoned, as urgent care facilities are limited in the medical care they can provide.

A report from KFF Health News indicates that nearly half of rural hospitals across America lose money, and 418 hospitals in those communities are in danger of closing. To combat this, the White House rolled out a program in January 2023 requiring rural hospitals to become urgent care centers in exchange for $3 million in funding and increased Medicare reimbursement payouts. While this solves the solvency problem for some hospitals, as ABC News reports, residents in these rural communities often feel abandoned, as urgent care facilities are limited in the medical care they can provide. 

Irwin County Hospital, located in Oscilla, Georgia, is a prime example. Shortly before converting to a rural urgent care center, the hospital took a $1 million loan from the county whose name it bears to pay its employees. The County Board of Supervisors Chairman Scott Carver doubted he would see that money repaid but told ABC News that he felt it was worth the risk. 

“We operate on a $6 million budget for the county, so to extend that kind of line of credit was dangerous on our part to some degree,” Carver said. “But … we felt like we had to try.”

Irwin County Hospital CEO Quentin Whitwell told the outlet that it ended up being a boon to the hospital, which now has $4 million in the bank after receiving tax credits and participating in state programs. Whitwell manages six other rural hospitals across the Southeast, most of which have made the transition to rural emergency care facilities or are in the process of doing so.

“We’re still finding out what some of the impacts are, given that it’s a new thing,” Whitwell said. “But the change to a rural emergency hospital has transformed this hospital.”

Residents of the city, like Traci Harper, found out the hard way that the hospital’s new policies can create a barrier to prompt medical care if they can’t handle a patient’s needs within 24 hours. Harper’s son needed care for spinal meningitis and was transferred to another hospital in Georgia before eventually being transferred to a facility in Jacksonville, Florida, where he received treatment. Harper felt as though she could have gotten care for her son faster if she had been informed of her options sooner. 

“That’s two hours away,” Harper said. “The whole time I could have taken him there myself, but nobody told me that.”

Regarding the financial peril many rural hospitals face, Michael Topchik, head of the Chartis Center for Rural Health, told KFF News that he expects their condition to worsen. 

“In healthcare and in many industries, we say, ‘No margin, no mission,’” Topchik said of the difference between income and expenses. Rural hospitals, he said, “are all mission-driven organizations that simply don’t have the margin to reinvest in themselves or their communities because of deteriorating margins. I’m very, very concerned for their future.”

Alan Morgan, CEO of the National Rural Health Association, a nonprofit advocacy group, told KFF News that he believes the Rural Emergency Hospital designation is ultimately not a good policy to address the specific needs of rural communities and the hospitals that serve them. Topchik, meanwhile, stressed that Congress will need to provide rural hospitals with more funding to keep them from closing. 

According to Morgan, “It’s a good thing that now we keep the emergency room care, but I think it masks the fact that 28 communities lost inpatient care just last year alone. I’m afraid that this hospital closure crisis is now going to run under the radar.”

He concluded, “It ends up costing local and state governments more, ultimately, and costs the federal government more, in dollars for healthcare treatment. It’s just bad public policy. And bad policy for the local communities.”

RELATED CONTENT: Hip-Hop Legend Chuck D Continues To Fight For Healthcare Price Transparency  

Ye, Diddy, Rolling Loud, Kanye West
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

March 18, 2024

Diddy Makes Rare Public Appearance At Ye’s Rolling Loud Set

Despite his current sexual assault allegations, Diddy made a rare public outing to see Ye perform at Rolling Loud, seemingly putting aside their beef.

Sean “Diddy” Combs attended Ye’s Rolling Loud California performance on March 14, a rare appearance for the media mogul who has avoided the spotlight following multiple assault allegations.

Diddy showed up with his twin daughters, Jessie and D’Lila Combs.

TMZ obtained footage of Diddy present for the festival appearance of Ye (the artist formerly known as Kanye West) and Ty Dolla $ign. In lieu of a traditional show, the hip-hop duo have hosted listening-style performances of their album, Vultures, around world. Their set at Rolling Loud was no different. However, the lackluster concert did not stop Diddy from dropping by anyway to see the headliners live.

Diddy’s appearance also indicates that he and Ye may be on better terms. The relationship between the two hip-hop giants has been tumultuous over the years, with the forever controversial Ye exposing their texts in 2022 regarding his “White Lives Matter” T-shirt. Despite Diddy wanting to discuss the issue in person, Ye went to the internet, declaring “war” against the Revolt founder.

Diddy’s pop-up at Rolling Loud, however, has sparked controversy given his stacking legal issues. After the settlement of his ex-partner Cassie’s explosive lawsuit detailing her years of sexual and physical abuse, a flood of other lawsuits arrived. Most recently, producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones accused Diddy of sexual harassment, assault, and exploitation.

The entrepreneur has taken a lower profile since the accusations surfaced. He stepped down from multiple ventures and roles, including as Revolt’s chairman. However, Diddy can’t seem to stay away from the stage for long, even if he’s not the one in the spotlight.

Maybe this will improve Diddy and Ye’s relationship. In the meantime, Diddy has denied all allegations regarding the lawsuits, but continues to post pictures of his family to social media on a no-comments allowed basis.

RELATED CONTENT: Candace Owens: Diddy Scandal ‘Bigger Than The Jeffrey Epstein Case’

Brooklyn Bodega, new york city, Sanyia, Samyia Spain
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

March 18, 2024

19-Year-Old Twins Stabbed, One Fatally, After Rejecting Man In Brooklyn Bodega

Samyia Spain was stabbed to death, and her sister Sanyia was stabbed in the arm.

Two 19-year-old Brooklyn twins were attacked and stabbed after rejecting a man’s advances. He retaliated by killing one of the girls and leaving the other wounded.

According to the Daily News, Samyia Spain was stabbed to death, and her twin sister, Sanyia, suffered a stab wound to the arm at a bodega in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn early Sunday morning. A man who was reportedly drunk tried to hit on Samyia, and according to their grandfather, Alphonso Goodson, she told the man she did not “want to be bothered” with him. Then the store owner kicked him out, and he left the store angry.

Goodson told the New York Post that the man “started kicking on the door” and banging after he was kicked out of the bodega. The man was outside waiting for the twins, who were with friends when they came out of the store. Then he attacked them.

Queen Latifah, Taraji P. Henson, NAACP Image Awards
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

March 18, 2024

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.

“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.”

RELATED CONTENT: Usher And ‘The Color Purple’ Win Big At NAACP Image Awards

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