Issa Rae has condemned TV bosses for not doing enough to tell black stories, despite studio promises to increase diversity on screen.
The Barbie and Insecure actress, originally from Maryland but now living in LA, spoke out after two shows she worked on were canceled.
The 39-year-old actress, writer and producer burst onto the scene in 2010 with the YouTube series ‘The Mis-Adventures of an Awkward Black Girl’ and her star has continued to rise ever since.
However, two of the shows she was a producer on have been canceled by TV bosses in recent weeks; Rap S***, which had a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, and A Black Lady Sketch Show.
After both shows were canceled, the talent turned to networks, saying she is “pessimistic” about the future of Black stories told on screens big and small.
Actress, producer and writer Issa Rae (pictured) has condemned the film and television industry for its lack of diverse output
“You now see very clearly that our stories have less priority,” Issa said Net-A-Porter.
The daughter of a Senegalese and American teacher, Issa has demonstrated her commitment to sharing Black stories from a young age.
During her student years at Stanford University, she founded a theater company to bring such stories to the stage.
And since founding her production company Hoorae Media, Issa has dedicated resources to creating stories that represent the Black community.
However, she told the outlet that she was concerned about the number of Black TV shows that are not being renewed for new seasons.
“You see so many Black shows being canceled, you see so many executives — especially in DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) — being fired,” she said.
Following the 2020 killing of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement that followed, TV studios vowed to rethink their employment practices to increase diversity.
However, a 2023 study from the University of Southern California found that many of these pledges never materialized as studios continued to fail to produce films by people of color.
Her criticism follows HBO’s decision to ax Rap S*** (a scene from the show is a photo), which she created and executive produced. The show follows two estranged high school friends from outside Miami who reunite to form an all-female rap group, hoping to make it in the music industry.
The research found that the number of films starring ethnic minority characters in 2022 had fallen to just 31 as of 2021, compared to 37 the year before.
“I’m pessimistic because there’s no one to hold anyone accountable,” Issa said of the lack of progress.
She continued, “And I certainly can, but also at what cost? I can’t make you make my stuff.”
Issa’s Rap S*** came to an end after its second season ended on December 21 when Max (formerly HBO Max) did not renew the show.
The series was Rae’s follow-up to her hit HBO series Insecure, which she starred in for five seasons on the cable network until 2021.
Although Rae — whose Barbie movie recently scored multiple SAG nominations — did not star in the series, she created and executive produced the series, with Syreeta Singleton also executive producing and serving as showrunner.
Rae created and executive produced the series, along with Syreeta Singleton, who also served as the showrunner; Rae pictured in July 2022 in LA
Rap S*** was Rae’s scripted sequel to her critically acclaimed HBO series Insecure (pictured). She can currently be seen in Barbie and American Fiction
“I am so proud and grateful for Syreeta, our cast, writers and crew who made this show possible,” Rae said in a statement to Variety. “Thanks to Sarah Aubrey and Suzanna Makkos for supporting the show, and many thanks to the fans who tuned in weekly to support our girls.”
Rap S*** follows the journey of two former high school friends, Shawna (Aida Osman) and Mia (KaMillion), as they rekindle their friendship years later in Miami.
The reunited friends start their own rap duo with the ambition to make it big in the music industry.
Rae’s insecure character also aspired to become a rapper early in the series, although subsequent seasons largely jettisoned that storyline to focus on her drama-inducing romantic relationships.
“I love this show and I am so proud of the work we have done,” Singleton said in her own statement. ‘We created something fun, raw and original and we did it our way! I will be forever grateful to Issa, our incredible cast, the amazing writers and crew who made this show possible. And I’m so grateful to Max for giving us the opportunity to bring Rap S*** to the screen.”
The Barbie star (Issa is depicted in the hit film) said signs for diversity and inclusivity rarely come to fruition
In a statement from Max, Max thanked Rae “for creating Rap S***, a unique comedy with compelling social commentary that reached viewers in a way only Issa’s talents can.”
“Thank you to Issa, showrunner Syreeta Singleton and the teams at Hoorae and 3 Arts Entertainment for introducing us to Shawna and Mia, a duo whose journey fans have invested in and continued to support through it all,” he added to it. a spokesperson for the streamer. ‘We will never get Temptation and Twilight out of our minds and we wouldn’t want it any other way.’
While it didn’t win any major awards, it scored nominations from the Gotham Awards for Breakthrough Series and a nomination for Best Lead Performance at the Independent Spirit Awards for KaMillion.
The NAACP Image Awards nominated Rap S*** for Outstanding Comedy Series, while Singleton was nominated for Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Television).
Rap S*** was scheduled to begin its second season on Max on August 10 last year, but due to the long-running actors’ strike, the show was postponed until November 9.
The series was a hit with critics from the start, with both seasons receiving an astonishing 100 percent fresh ratings on Rotten Tomatoes.
After appearing on screen in the hugely successful Barbie, Rae is back on screen in the critically acclaimed film satire American Fiction, which stars Jeffrey Wright and is an adaptation of Percival Everett’s critically acclaimed 2001 novel Erasure.