Gabby Union is joining the long list of celebrities questioning Hollywood’s diversity problem.
In an interview with Yahoo! Style, the Being Mary Jane star says being in the public eye allows her to give a voice to the underrepresented, particularly on Black women in Hollywood—or the lack thereof.
“The fact that there’s a massive controversy about [the new Star Wars] having a Black stormtrooper is crazy,” she said, referring to Lupita Nyong’o’s casting in the upcoming Star Wars film. “It’s a made-up world. But in movies, even if you’re in an outer-space community, there’s no diversity. Damn, that says a lot.”
When asked about Ferguson, Union said that the issue at hand was not merely police brutality.
“It’s about a widespread systematic crippling of some people in this country by birthright, and no one’s acknowledging it,” she said. “They say, ‘It’s not that bad. We have Barack Obama. We’re good.’ Or, ‘You’re not getting lynched.’ They’re not acknowledging the institutional racism that impacts daily lives.”
Union added that being the public eye in the 21st century was exceptionally difficult because people constantly want “110 percent of what you have to offer,” even when it comes to political views. “I don’t think there’s any footage from back then where Michael Jordan was asked about an issue,” she said. “But now that I’ve been given a voice, I’m going to use it.”
Preach!