This 2017 interview with Issa Rae, creator and star of Insecure and the web series Awkward Black Girl, was posted on the YouTube channel of INBOUND (an annual experience featuring forward-looking industry professionals). The video begins by highlighting a primary question Rae addresses when looking at all her favorite comedy shows:  “where are the black people at? where are the people of color?” She goes on to detail what motivated her to create Awkward Black Girl, how she got noticed and broke into the industry via this online web series, and how she hopes to address some of the lack of racial diversity in Hollywood.

discussion

What motivated Issa Rae to create Awkward Black Girl? What did she think was missing in entertainment and media production? How do her shows address the question, “where are the black people at?”

What does Rae mean that humor is segregated in much of television? How does Rae connect this idea to reality television? to the other shows she specifically names?

What are the advantages of online creation according to Rae? How did online creation help her?

How might online digital creation help you tell your own story? Your own web series or Instagram account or something else?