Tracee Ellis Ross has opened up about facing racism in the workplace, recalling a recent incident that left her in tears. The 53-year-old actress, best known for her roles in Girlfriends and Black-ish, is also the daughter of iconic Motown singer Diana Ross, 82.
Speaking to NET-A-PORTER's digital title PORTER, Ross described a meeting where she felt she was 'in the face of systemic racism.' Despite her tears, she forced herself to speak up. 'I walked out of there and it made me cry with how hard it was. I felt like I was in the face of systemic racism,' she said. 'I was the only woman in the room. I was one of two Black people, two people of colour. And the garbage that was coming at me with such a sense of ease… it was genuinely staggering. And I felt very proud that I didn't feel afraid to stand up. I brought it.'
Past Controversy Over Black-ish Episode
In 2018, Ross described ABC's decision to shelve a Black-ish episode about NFL players taking a knee as 'frightening.' The episode, titled 'Please, baby, please,' focused on the national debate over players kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial inequality. It was pulled without explanation over reported 'creative differences' between creator Kenya Barris and network executives.
Fans were outraged and demanded answers, but none were given. Ross said she asked for information but did not demand details. 'The details of why the episode was pulled and everything that has surrounded that, I do not have the answers for. To a certain extent, I have purposefully stayed out of those conversations because I have had no power to do something beyond that,' she told The Hollywood Reporter.
Comparison to Roseanne Cancellation
Critics noted the irony that the Black-ish episode was shelved while Roseanne, a show with conservative sympathies, was allowed to continue until star Roseanne Barr's racist tweet led to its cancellation. ABC has not publicly commented on the decision not to air the Black-ish episode.
Ross made her comments as part of a group interview with Drew Barrymore, Rachel Brosnahan, Debra Messing, and Alison Brie. They also discussed the #MeToo movement and how women in Hollywood are now more unified. Meanwhile, Barris has not been vocal about his dispute with ABC over the episode but spoke out about the network's handling of the Roseanne scandal, revealing he planned to quit if ABC did not cancel the show.
