Why do Black female artists still have to fight for respect in Hollywood? | Tayo Bero

While it's easy to look at individual success stories as signs of progress, the industry numbers paint a very different picture

Between history-making wins and thoroughly life-affirming speeches, Black women definitely took center stage at this year's Emmys. And after a night like that, it's whiplash-inducing for me to recall just how shabbily veteran actress Taraji P Henson and her co-stars were allegedly treated while filming the $100m Steven Spielberg-produced remake of The Color Purple.

Henson, a Golden Globe winner, spoke candidly to the New York Times about how much she had to fight for on the set of the Warner Bros film - not just for herself, but for all of the members of the hugely talented ensemble cast, which included Tony-nominated actress Danielle Brooks and Grammy-winning Fantasia Barrino.