Issa Rae: Hollywood's Diversity Crisis & Inclusive Storytelling

0:00On April 13th, Issa Rae is sounding the alarm on Hollywood's diversity rollback. She launched her hit-web series, Awkward Black Girl Years ago, to fill a huge gap in black representation on screen. Fast forward, and despite all the progress, we're circling back to the same old limited roles and stories for people of color. Even top execs from diverse backgrounds are whispering they can't push projects like hers without risking their jobs. Investments have dried up, and diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts once a rallying cry are now treated like a curse word in boardrooms. Rae paints Hollywood as stuck in a full-blown identity crisis, scrambling to pull in social media creators as a quick fix instead of building real. Pipelines for New Talent, it's left everyone feeling the squeeze with fewer chances for fresh voices to break through. She's dropping gems for up-and-coming creators, skip the endless spec scripts, and build proof of concept online first. Holly was gotten lazy on Discovery, ignoring hidden gems while chasing viral hits.

1:01Through her production company, Rae, Rae's locked in on inclusive storytelling no matter what. Creators, keep honing your voice, connect straight with fans, and stay the course, real change starts from the ground up.