"I'm seeing it. Just blatantly. People aren't investing like they were before. [DEI] has changed meanings and has become a bad word."
"Even after so much progress, we're kind of back to limited representation and having to stake claim of our stories. We're back where we started, in a way, but wiser."
"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.'"
"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."
Issa Rae, known for her authentic portrayal of Black women's lives, expressed concern over Hollywood's waning interest in diversity. At a recent summit, she noted a troubling trend where investment in diverse projects has decreased, and DEI has become a negative term. Rae emphasized the need for creators to reframe their projects to secure funding, suggesting that presenting stories through broader themes, like class, can help. She reflected on her journey, stating that her initial work aimed to fill a representation gap in the industry.
Read at Fast Company
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