Tiffany Haddish Saying No To An Unpaid Grammys Gig Is Our Mood Forever

Tiffany Haddish saying "NO" to the Grammys signified her knowing her worth.

Though Haddish was nominated for her second Grammy this year for best comedy album for Netflix's Black Mitzvah, it's still not worth her accepting zero compensation for hosting their award show. They don't even pay their performers and presenters; the Grammys is all about keeping the profit to themselves versus sharing their wealth.

It's 2020; Black women should not just be earning a seat at the table but also be valued as much as their white counterparts. And until that changes, they need to keep amplifying their truth for the system to evolve and pay Black women what they are worth.

As Haddish noted:

"I was like, 'The exposure is amazing, but I think I have enough. I appreciate you guys asking.' And as much as I appreciate the honor of being nominated, that's not OK."

Apologies are nice, but we want more.

In response to her rejection of the offer, Recording Academy Chief Harvey Mason Jr. posted a video on Instagram apologizing to Haddish and mentioning that he also found the offer disrespectful.

"Unfortunately, and without my knowing, the talent booker working for the Academy told Ms. Haddish that we wouldn't even cover her costs while she hosted this event for us. To me, that was wrong. I'm frustrated by that decision. It was a lapse in judgment, it was in poor taste, and it was disrespectful to the creative community."

He said that Haddish allowed him to have a private conversation with her, apologizing to her directly. "Tiffany, we are sorry, and thank you for allowing me to speak on it," he concluded.

Apologies are nice and all, but we are demanding more. This is far from the first time a Black woman's work have been misvalued or undervalued. Tiffany Haddish has been featured in movies and TV shows as an actress, comedian, writer, and producer. Why does she need to host the Grammys for free when she could be spending time on an event that pays her?

Black women need to be valued the same as their white counterparts. An award ceremony as big as the Grammys should host their own show since they clearly can't afford to pay her. We've been running this race too long, working two to three times harder just to be allowed in the same room as our white counterparts. It's the passive-aggressive invite, and be happy you got an invite because we rarely include your people for me.

It's the expectation that we should just take what we're given because that is the structure America has always placed Black people in.

Well, that ended the day Tiffany said "no", because she knows her worth. You don't bend backwards for another party that doesn't care about you, that's disrespectful, and Black women deserve better.

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