Not only is Taraji P. Henson one of Time’s Women of the Year for 2024, but her call-out of pay inequality in Hollywood exemplifies the spirit of this year’s list.
Time magazine announced its 2024 Women of the Year on Wednesday morning and introduced the 12 women chosen by extending high praise to Henson for speaking out after enduring decades of underpayment in the entertainment industry.
“That sense of urgency thrums through this year’s edition of Women of the Year, Time’s annual list of trailblazers who are breaking new ground and fighting for a more equitable future,” the magazine reported.
This year’s list highlights four Black women: Henson, singer Andra Day, professional tennis player Coco Gauff, and founder and executive director of the Chisholm Legacy Project Jacqui Patterson. The list also includes director Greta Gerwig, global CEO of Chanel Leena Nair, co-founder and leader of the Israeli movement Women Wage Peace Yael Admi, founder and director of Women of the Sun Reem Hajajreh, president and chairwoman of nonprofit Nadia’s Initiative Nadia Murad, medical scientist and professor of research on hyperemesis gravidarum Marlena Fejzo, poet Ada Limón, and economic historian and labor economist Claudia Goldin.
From Henson’s fight against pay inequality to Patterson’s environmental justice, all of the women selected have a common thread: fighting for the next generation.
Writing about Henson, Time’s Andrew Chow said, “Lately, Henson, one of Hollywood’s most electric personalities and prolific stars, has been pulling back the curtain, sharing her frustration and heartbreak as a Black woman in the industry.”
He referenced a December interview with Gayle King, the Oscar-nominated Henson participated in while promoting “The Color Purple” musical; she broke down in tears as she described her challenge of receiving equal pay. Chow explained that Henson’s admission brought renewed attention to a…
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