During the month of February, BRTW ensemble members are selecting personal Black heroes to highlight everyday. These heroes may have spoken the magic words that first made them see their Black beauty, the people who inspired them to become artists, or even the person who taught them how to make proper mixed greens.

Today  BRTW is celebrating Issa Rae. If you don’t know who Issa Rae is check out her hit YouTube series Awkward black girl.

I’ve been told I’m kinda of an awkward person and I somehow find myself in awkward situations. So when I stumbled upon Issa Rae’s Awkward black girl I loved it. From Rae’s quirky freestyling to her navigating her work office surroundings Awkward black girl is a non-stop laugh out loud fest.

With her success she’s used YouTube as her platform to write, produce, film, and edit her projects. I enjoy Rae’s work because not only is it funny but it also encompasses the black experience; which is lacking in the entertainment industry as a whole. Rae’s other works include: Ratchet Piece Theater, The “F” Word, Roomieloverfriends, and The Choir. She’s currently working on show with Larry Wilmore titled, Insecure coming out some time in 2016 on HBO.

 

– Kevin Green
Co-founder and ensemble member