Issa Rae Says Diversity "Has Become A Bad Word" In Hollywood

Issa Rae has inadvertently become one of the most outspoken Black voices in Hollywood, and it all happened in 2017 at the Emmy Awards, when she was asked who she was rooting for and honestly responded, “I’m rooting for everybody Black.” 

Ten years after creating the groundbreaking HBO series Insecure, Rae is forced to deal with the trickle-down of racial politics from the white nationalist inhabitants of the White House and the removal of all things diversity, equity, and inclusion, more commonly called DEI. 

During a recent panel with The Wrap, Rae explained that “Hollywood is in an identity crisis right now,” citing a pivot to social media creators and away from meaningful storytellers as she detailed how hard it is to get something made as a woman of color. 

“I started Awkward Black Girl because there was a dearth of representation in the industry, and it felt like this was my opportunity to put an archetype into the space that didn’t exist at the time,” she said, Deadline reports.

“And now, even after so much progress, we’re kind of back to limited representation and having to stake claim of our stories,” added Rae. “We’re back where we started, in a way, but wiser.”

Rae even noted that execs of color have told her they “can’t cosign you” out of fear of losing their jobs, “tiptoeing” around the rollback of DEI.

“I’m seeing it. Just blatantly,” she said. “People aren’t investing like they were before. [DEI] has changed meanings and has become a bad word.”

Rae noted, “You have to be smarter about how you package and market [projects]. You tell them, ‘It’s not a show about a Black woman, it’s a show about class.’ As icky as that might feel, it gets the show sold.”

See social media’s reaction to Rae’s statements below.