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Though she’s rarely ever seen, Ms. Darlene Mowry, the mother of Tia and Tamera Mowry, is a force to be reckoned with. If you’ve listened to the twin superstars speak over the years, you won’t be hard pressed to find the ways their mother’s words and wisdom have positively impacted their personal and professional lives.
Recently, Tamera Mowry-Housley, in an interview with ESSENCE’s Brande Victorian, shared that back in the nineties, their mother helped them fight for equal pay. Being that this is a battle women all over the world are still fighting, Ms. Darlene was ahead of her time.
When asked if she had ever been underpaid in her career as an actress, Tamera said, “Absolutely! And again, it was because of me my mom. We started this business—we meaning my amazing sister Tia—together. And I can remember my mom, I think we were 18 or 19. And she had don her research and she realized that there were certain people in the entertainment business who were making more money. And we knew that my sister and I were putting in the time, putting in the work. But not only that, we had success. She [Ms. Darlene] was like, ‘Ok, how come the girls aren’t experiencing how the other actresses these raises.’
I can remember her sitting us down and saying, ‘This might be nerve racking. It may cause you a little anxiety. But if you don’t fight for what’s right, fight for you believe in, take that risk, then you never know. But she believed in us. And her believing in us, we saw that strength and we believed in ourselves. And my sister and I became, at one point, one of the highest paid actresses on a pre-teen family show. And it started with my mom and us knowing our worth and vocalizing what we believe is right when you see some inequality going on.”
It’s very uncomfortable. You will be tested but you have to believe in yourself.”
You can check out the full interview, here.
