Janelle Monae is trying to financially support her crew after many of her gigs were cancelled this year.
The 34-year-old singer and actress had performances at the likes of Essence Festival and NYC Pride axed due to the coronavirus pandemic so she wants to make sure her team are OK, as well as trying to help her family members – including her stepfather, a postal service employee – and admitted the pressure has got to her at some points.
She said: "I’ve been trying to help the band and the crew as much as I can.
"I’ve been trying. I’ll have to figure out different ways to financially support myself. There was a moment where I did break down and cry. Not just for myself, but for everybody this is affecting – everybody who’s going to lose somebody."
The ‘Homecoming’ actress called for a "real uprising" among US citizens.
She added: "There can be a real uprising. The majority of us do not want to continue to see things be the way that they are."
Janelle, upset with the $1,200 stimulus payments issued by the government, has also started a number of philanthropic endeavours through the Wondaland Arts Society in Atlanta, and has also partnered with Verizon to assist LGBTQ+ and ethnic minority-owned local businesses because she’s aware others are facing struggles that she doesn’t have to deal with.
Speaking to Vanity Fair US, she said: "I’ve been doing a lot of organizing, because we are not all in the same boat.
"Staying at home for me is different than staying at home and not working for a mom with five kids, when she’s single and can’t afford to pay her rent or pay for food for her kids."