leaked documents remind us that hollywood is paying black & brown actors and actresses chump change compared to their white counterparts

The equal pay debate has been raging since the 60s, and the fact that in 2016 Black men and women are still being paid less than their white counterparts is outrageous. On Tuesday, Variety uncovered and published the salaries of many television stars, and in the midst of controversy over the film and television industry’s treatment of minority actors, the numbers don’t paint a surprising picture, but the picture is disheartening nonetheless. The men and women representing Black people in movies and tv shows in some of entertainment’s most popular shows aren’t being compensated at rates that are comparable with their prestige. For example, the cast of Big Bang Theory makes $1 million per episode, while Viola Davis and Kerry Washington are making $250,000 per episode, when ABC is being buoyed by their contributions to the network and their reach is comparable to that of BBT. Gina Rodriguez, whose role in “Jane the Virgin” won her the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy in 2015, is the lowest-paid comedy star at $60,000 per episode, and Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross of “Black-ish” get $100,000 per episode and $80,000 per episode, respectively. In the last two years, the industry has found itself in controversy over the lack of minority roles and recognition, but the problem, it seems, is deeper than just getting roles. Because, apparently, even if you can break into the industry, if you’re a minority actor, you won’t make as much and that’s just unacceptable.

By T. McLendon, AFROPUNK Contributor

In depth coverage on The Grio: http://thegrio.com/2016/10/06/leaked-tv-star-salaries-reveal-pay-gap-between-black-and-white-actors/