Ode to Issa Rae, a busy Barbie

It’s not for nothing that Greta Gerwig chose Issa Rae as President of Barbie. This Barbie wants to change the world. And especially black representation in entertainment. We can’t say it enough: Representation matters. Being able to identify with a character through a toy, book or movie allows you to feel that you exist in the world. Issa Rae didn’t have role models, but she met some in her journey: “Sometimes you don’t know what you want to achieve until you have an example. Shonda Rhimes really was that for me.” he confides.

Born in 1985 in Los Angeles, Jo-Issa Rae Diop spent part of her childhood in Dakar, Senegal, home of her pediatrician father, while her mother was a teacher in Louisiana. With her four siblings, the family settled permanently in the United States, and she grew up in Washington and Los Angeles. She majored in African-American studies at Stanford University, where she got her start making music videos, writing comedy, and mock reality TV. She obtained a scholarship to study at the Public Theater in New York and multiplied the small works, future sources of inspiration. She hesitates between pursuing law or business studies.

An awkward black girl, on the road to success

Jo-Issa Rae Diop finally opts for entertainment and creates several web series. In 2011, she takes on the role of J her, a 20-year-old who recounts her awkward interactions with co-workers, friends, and love interests in her voice-over. After attracting the attention of the press, the web-series Awkward black girl seduces Pharrell who offers her a partnership and makes her star in his clip, “Happy”.

Already, the Issa Rae method (which has shortened its name, after too many people have scratched it) is taking shape: his desire to make the African American community visible in front of and behind the camera, his propensity to multiply projects (Ratchet Piece Theater, The “F” Word, The Chorus…) and her uneasy humor, which brings her closer to a “Black Liz Lemon”, the character of Tina Fey in 30Rock. “Liz Lemon is clumsy, and I get it identified with her. But it was frustrating that there weren’t characters like her who looked like me.” explains. In 2013, Shonda Rhimes, a model black woman who has built an entertainment empire, approached her about writing a comedy pilot, I hate kids from Los Angeles. She won’t see the light of day, but she’s got her foot in the stirrup.

At the same time, Issa Rae is working with Larry Wilmore on a series that is a continuation ofAwkward black girl. It chronicles the life of an awkward black woman who searches for herself, in every sense, and evolves with her loved ones in the South Los Angeles neighborhood. Insecure premiered on HBO in 2016. Critics rave about what we are so rarely shown: the ordinary lives of Black people. “We just try to convince people that we can identify with racialized characters as well.” comments Issa Rae.

Black girl boss

Quality of writing, interpretation (Yvonne Orji, Kendrick Sampson, Kelli Prenny), musical choices (with Solange Knowles as consultant)… In five seasons, one more successful than the last, the drama Insecure discusses topics such as modern dating, ordinary racism, black mental health, or the evolution of female friendships. Issa Rae becomes a heavyweight in the series industry, nominated every year for Golden Globes and Emmys. In 2018, she was included in Time’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Like his fictional alter ego in Insecure, who ends up finding her career path by supporting the ventures of black entrepreneurs, Issa Rae has found her voice. In 2020 she created her own production company, Hoorae, which develops content across all media (film, series, digital) and her own music label, Raedio. Produces reality TV (Sweet Life: Los Angeles), standing (A Black Lady Sketch Show) and create the series Rap Sh!teach time with the desire to offer content that makes people of color visible.

On the big screen, the actress is gaining momentum The Hate You Give (2018), The photography (2020) or The Lovebirds (2020). In 2023, it is on the account of Spider-man: through the spider-verse AND Barbie. To embody Barbie President, the star was inspired by figures such as Michelle Obama and Kamala Harris, but above all by “the vision of what I thought was a leader when I was a child”. For these two blockbusters, he lends his features to figurines derived from his two universes. Representation always matters.

Lead the way

True to her beliefs, Issa Rae is involved in feminist and civil rights movements such as the ACLU, BLD PWR and Black Lives Matter. Since her early successes on YouTube, she has used her platform to report police violence or create a kitten to help a victim’s family.

A model of Black Excellence, Issa Rae partners with universities, like Howard’s, to create mentorship programs for Black students in entertainment or advertising. And she advocates long-term follow-up: “If there’s no mentoring or guidance to see that person get promoted, or to make sure there are other opportunities outside of the one they’ve been given, it’s a lost cause.” […] Don’t send people into the lions’ den; ensure its success”.

Issa Rae resonates the voice of racialized artists in the American writers’ strike, for a fair compensation for all. Her commitment to her on all grounds, she explains with a miss. “It comes from what I have not seen. It also comes from the desire to make what I want to see possible. Once you have the wherewithal to drive change, it’s up to you, especially if you complain – and I complain a lot!” This Barbie deserves to be the star of her own blockbuster.

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