Issa Rae
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What Will 2017 Bring for Black People? We Have 5 Guesses
So The Root asked me, “Hey, L, do your best and think about what’s gonna happen in 2017.” And I was like, “Bet!” As I’ve said before, I may not be Negrodamus, but I’m damn sure Negrodamus’ play cousin, so I’m pretty sure that these are not the only things that we’ll see in 2017.…
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Watch: #Bye2016: A Hilarious Look at the Best and Worst Moments of the Year
What a year 2016 has been! It felt as if we were hearing about the death of some unarmed black person or a beloved celebrity every second. This was also the year that we begrudgingly voted in a new president, reluctantly saying goodbye to President Barack Obama and his lovely family. Despite the death and…
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The Winners of 2016
Flatly, 2016 as a staff, record label and as a motherf—king crew has collectively sucked. Far too many people have died, and a spoiled, mango-colored racist man surrounded by a bunch of like-minded bigots and sycophants will soon make life hell for many who have survived. However, as draining as this year has felt for…
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We Are All Insecure
Eight weeks ago, The Root published an article I wrote, titled, “Is Insecure Preying on Black Women’s Insecurities?” It was a simple question, based on an honest concern I’d had while previewing the show prior to its debut on HBO: As viewers—and, at times, voyeurs—of Insecure, what was our intended takeaway? Was there a deliberate…
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I’m Team Issa Over Team Lawrence, Because Issa Reminds Me Of Me
In the first scene of the first episode of Insecure, Issa Rae makes the mission statement of her show clear when she responds to a student who says her dad told her nobody is checking for bitter Black women. “Tell your dad Black women aren’t bitter, they’re just tired of being expected to settle for…
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On Insecure's Revolutionary (And Real) Depictions Of Young Black People Having Sex
Last night’s Insecure finale ended with both a bang (Lawrence finally deciding to take Tasha the bank teller up on her, um, offer) and a whimper (Issa’s couch cry in Molly’s arms); culminating a season unlike any other I’d seen on network or cable TV. Of course, we’ve seen shows where friendships between Black women served…
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Watch: Insecure Is Lit
To let Issa Rae tell it, her new HBO series, Insecure, is lit AF. We’d have to agree. Similar to her breakout web series, The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, Insecure explores themes familiar to millennials, but from the black perspective. And note that there is no singular black experience. “This is not going to be…
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Is Insecure Preying on Black Women’s Insecurities?
I may lose some friends over this. In fact, I may lose friends, followers, respect and possibly even my “black card” (which, apparently, has been under review since I dared address the Nate Parker issue). Which is unfortunate, since being black is one of my favorite things, and one of my favorite things about being…
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Issa Rae’s Insecure: No Longer an Awkward Black Girl
In the words of Ron Burgundy, Issa Rae is kind of a big deal. The awkward black girl has gone from creating and starring in an award-winning web series, The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, to creating and starring in the half-hour HBO comedy Insecure, about two friends “navigating the tricky and personal terrain of…
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Urbanworld Celebrates 20 Years of Showcasing Black Films While Hollywood Plays Catch-Up
Long before Hollywood entertained modern-day diversity or inclusion conversations, Urbanworld, founded by onetime Motown Records and Miramax Films executive Stacy Spikes in 1997, was already expanding the “urban” landscape in film, pushing beyond racial, geographic and other limits, and freely mixing music and other aspects of urban culture. It’s a mission the festival, in its…