Roy Wood Jr. explains why he walked away from ‘The Daily Show’

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Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.

Roy Wood Jr. was on the short list of people who could end up hosting “The Daily Show” after Trevor Noah. Lots of people were guessing or assuming that he would end up with the job. Then one day, Wood announced that he was leaving the show. Why? We get into on “Masters of the Game” now streaming on theGrio.

There’s a lot to the story, but let me give you an abbreviated version. Any time I hear about a Black person voluntarily walking away from a job, I get anxiety. Can we really be sure there will be another one??? I’m being silly, but anxiety isn’t supposed to be logical. But I asked Wood about why he left, and his big point was this: He needed to be in control of his future. He was at “The Daily Show” waiting for them to decide and that meant putting his future in the hands of other people. He wanted to be the captain of the ship that was his career.

Wood told me he left the job without knowing what was next for him. I admire the courage he showed. Leaving a job without knowing where you’re going takes courage, especially when you’re a parent. I also admire his insistence on controlling his career. So often we are chasing jobs, and we do what we are hired to do rather than trying to create a situation where we are doing what we want to do. Wood has constructed his professional life around doing what he wants to do. Not everyone can do that, but nowadays there are more tools that let you try. Just listen to Wood talk about leaving “The Daily Show” and see what it makes you think about you and your job. Don’t miss Wood on “Masters of the Game” now streaming on theGrio.

Toure is a host and writer at TheGrio. He hosts the TheGrio TV show “Masters of the Game,” and he created the award-winning podcast “Being Black: The ’80s” and its upcoming sequel “Being Black: The ’70s.” He is also the creator of “Star Stories” and the author of eight books, including “Nothing Compares 2 U an oral history of Prince.” He also hosts a podcast called “Toure Show.” He is also a husband and a father of two.