
Nia Long has been a voice for our community and a staple in the industry since the early ’90s. Her 30-year journey is filled with notable roles in cult classics, including Love Jones, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, The Best Man, Soul Food, and many more. From Nina Mosley to Lisa Wilkes, each of her character portrayals created an indelible impact that showcased Black culture’s multidimensional experiences. Throughout the Brooklyn natives’ long-standing career, a common theme and one of many reasons the 49-year-old has become a well-known, celebrated, and respected Black actress in Hollywood.
In continuing to push the needle forward on racial diversity in Hollywood, and speaking on systemic racism in various facets, especially in the film and television industry, the Trinidadian star has been extremely vocal in the past and even presently about the beauty challenges of being a Black actress.
And we can’t forget about her most recent encounter with the beauty company Glam Squad. After enlisting their services in San Francisco, she was told by the hired makeup artist, “We don’t do makeup for Black people very often. I don’t have a foundation that matches your color.”
“I think everyone called them out. They [Glam Squad] ignored me. I had conversations with the executives where they made promises to do more education. I said, “Listen, I’m not trying to be a whistleblower. I’ll come in and even talk to your artists and give of my time. Because that’s the only way we can make a change is if we educate one another.”
“Oh, yes, we would love that!” And nothing ever happened. When they posted the blackout thing [square] for Tuesday and everybody got in their ass, I did not feel sorry for them. Because they were not accountable for the way they run their company. They are clearly misrepresenting who they are. If you don’t want to service Black people, then take us off of your website and stop raising money from larger corporations to fund your small company to act as if you are a company committed to representing diversity. All of these companies are doing it, and I’m not sold on any big corporations raising their fist until I see action.”
In addition to utilizing her platform to ignite awareness on social issues, many have wondered how the mom of two continues to maintain her fountain of [internal] youth? According to her, the wellness secret is quite simple, “water, sex, and vitamins.” And we’re reminded of her captivating on-screen presence and timeless aging in her latest Netflix original feature film Fatal Affair, starring alongside Omar Epps. The two powerhouses reconnected in their first movie together after 21 years, and it also marks Nia Long’s first producing credit.
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