Issa Rae wants you to stop asking her about diversity in Hollywood
Hollywood may be dealing with a representation issue, but according to Issa Rae, we are calling on the wrong people to fix it.
From her breakout YouTube series The Misadventures of an Awkward Black Girl to her hit HBO show Insecure and even her upcoming romantic comedy Lovebirds, which will now be released on Netflix, Rae has never shied away from including as many diverse voices in her work as she can. In fact, the multi-talented actress says itâs âthreaded in the fabric of my being to look around me and make sure that there is representation because thatâs what I wholeheartedly want to see.â
And her efforts towards creating a more inclusive community for people of color in Hollywood goes far beyond the projects she stars in. In 2019, she executive produced A Black Lady Sketch Show, the very first sketch series that featured an all-black, all-women cast and writersâ room. She also launched her record label Raedio Label, which sole purpose is to give a leg up to independent artists and offer them a platform that makes it easier to connect with fans. Most recently, she partnered with American Express to help promote The Ambition Project, an initiative aimed at empowering womenâs advancement.
âThe work comes naturally to me, and I think thatâs where the frustration comes from â to do it because Iâm always thinking about black people. Iâm always thinking about people of color, Iâm always trying to make sure thatâs just in the back of my mind,â she tells Yahoo Entertainment.
But when it comes to fixing a historically broken system, Rae says, âNo one is challenged on that. When I go to other sets and literally everybody is a white man and youâre OK with that because you donât have to think about that. It doesnât cross your mind because no one is pressuring you to think about it.â
With all of the progressive work Rae is doing, however, she doesnât want people to ever think itâs a burden â itâs her passion. But, she does want you to stop asking her questions about diversity.
âJournalists arenât asking the white man on the phone call, âHey so this diversity issue, how are you handling it?ââ she says. âItâs always us, and Iâm handling it by doing what the f*** I have to do and being that. But itâs not a burden at all. Itâs only a burden if you donât want to do it or youâre not thinking,â she adds.
While a lot of her upcoming career plans may have been disrupted due to the coronavirus pandemic, Insecure fans wonât have to wait much longer for Season 4 of the hit show. The new season premieres this Sunday at 10 p.m. on HBO.
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