#BlackHairChallenge Makes a Comeback After Gabrielle Union was Fired From Americas Got Talent

The #BlackHairChallenge has come back to social media after Gabrielle Union was fired from America’s Got Talent. Union says she was fired for discrimination. It was recently reported that both Union and fellow judge, Julianna Hough, were to leave the show. Both women were subjected to “excessive notes on their physical appearance” with Union being told that her hairstyles were too black.

Social media expressed their outrage by showing their solidarity with Union by taking part in the #BlackHairChallenge. The challenge involves people using the hashtag and sharing four pictures of themselves in different hairstyles meant to celebrate the versatility of black hair.

https://twitter.com/LeapFroggg/status/1199823874633936897

The challenge was created in 2017 by the women empowerment platform, Melanin Mamis, after pictures of Michelle Obama surfaced with her wearing her natural hair during the holidays.  

This is not AGT’s first run-in with controversy though. Back in 2017, Nick Cannon left the show after 8 seasons because he found out NBC wanted to fire him after he had said the N-word in his recent Showtime comedy special.

“I was to be punished for a joke … My soul won’t allow me to be in business with corporations that attempt to frown on freedom of speech, censor artists, and question cultural choices,” Cannon wrote. “Not to get too detailed but this isn’t the first time executives have attempted to ‘put me in my place’ for so-called unruly actions.”