Women Connect Wednesday: Black Women Connect: Issa Rae
Issa Rae, what can I say? She is the black woman connect for this week’s Women Connect Wednesday. When I mentioned this concept to Fae of what I wanted to do for the month of February. I didn’t want it to be plain, stuffy, and all about men. I wanted it to be something that focused on the black woman. I wanted it to be able to mean something and be relatable then talking about Rosa Parks, Madame CJ Walker, and Sojourner Truth. Not saying their truths are not still relatable with black women today and not trailblazing by any means necessary but something to make you think and say, "you know what am I waiting for? I can do that too!" Last week, I did Misty Copeland and I was excited, nervous, and a little anxious because I don’t feel like I did her any justice. Why? Because I feel like I did it like a book report. I didn’t say how I found her and how my love for what she does is inspiring and empowering to me. Or the perspective of Misty from me. Maybe, I should do Misty a redo and make it come more from the heart. That’s always better and can be appreciated. I think.
Back to Issa Rae, when I was telling this idea to Fae I lead with Issa. She thought it was a great idea. I told her that I thought she would be good because by doing what she loved created this career for her. Fae said that she was a blogger and had been a heavy blogger for years and followed some of her stuff back in the day.
So, when it came time to try and find information on the stuff that we talked about I couldn’t find it. I panicked. How could I talk about someone that is so inspiring and not be able to get a solid fact. Which made me realizing a couple of things. One, I was making it into a book report that I didn’t want to and nobody wants to read that. I certainly don’t and with all the technology you can Google someone in a heartbeat and learn whatever you want to know about the person true or false. Two, I’m not going to find all this information “readily” available because they are still making history in their own story.Three it’s from my perspective of how she has inspired me by the things that she was able to do and accomplish. And how I feel like her and the other women I have in mind can inspire you.
Let me back track a bit, I first found out by Issa Rae from an article that I was reading right before “Insecure” started well, as soon as it was announced that she would be doing "Insecure." The article highlighted that her work with the Awkward Black Girl which she created, wrote, and produced all on her own and then later got crafty started a go fund me for production funding when it got bigger was the vehicle for Insecure.
I remember reading the article being excited for someone that I have never even met for her dreams to be coming to flourishing. I said that I would check the Insecure series out when it came out on tv. I remember saying, “nice, black girl winning.” To be honest the series came out and I still haven’t watched a single episode. But, root her on every time her show gets renewed for another season. I know I know how can I tell you all these great things and I never watched a single item she has done? Easy! Being able to support someone purely based on their drive, passion, and a need to empower fueling their success why wouldn't you want to support something so spectacular? I don’t watch much tv anymore so, I know at some point I’m going to have to binge watch it.
Ok, here is where I’m going to get a little book reporty on ya. She’s got 5 shows, Ratchetpiece Theatre, The “F” Word, The Choir, Awkward Black Girl, and Insecure. Those are on her website available for you to view, her blog, her book, The Misadventures of Black Girl (a New York best seller), and Awkward Black store where you can purchase shirts, sweatshirts and a hat.What is also on her website is Issa Rae Productions and Short Film Sundays. Issa Rae Production is her very own production company where she is trying to make herself known in the industry by any means necessary. Keeping web based things honoring her roots, a podcast called Fruit, and other things in the works. Short Film Sundays is a short story for new content creators to be able showcase their work. You can submit to have your piece be a feature for the month. It features a new story the first Friday of every month.
All of that would not have been possible if she hadn’t believed in herself enough to do what she loved and for it to pay off big. Just imagine if she hadn’t pushed herself to do Awkward Black Girl because no big production wanted to back her or because someone told her that it was impossible.
Please don’t get too bored with me just yet. The Women Connect Wednesday Black Connect edition isn’t always going to focus on a women in entertainment. I got a black woman blogger and a black woman in business coming up for you.
I included a good interview and excellent piece of collecting all of her arts and attributes. I just wish the interviewer, Brooke Baldwin, would have quit cutting Issa off while she was talking.
Until next time loves...
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