Issa Rae recently offered a keynote speech at SXSW 2025 for her upcoming HBO docuseries Seen & Heard, and made a strong plea to the Hollywood industry. She spoke on how networks and higher-ups historically "used Black audiences" and "abandoned them as soon as it was convenient," although she recognized that some folks might see this as a conspiracy. Nevertheless, the Insecure multi-hyphenate spoke to other Black entertainment powerhouses like Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, Ava DuVernay, and more in order to highlight these injustices. Most importantly, she seeks to highlight these stories and show how Black television in particular faces an uphill battle.
"It’s one thing to say it," Issa Rae remarked. "You might have heard someone say that in the history of television and the history of particular networks. But to have the actual creators, showrunners and writers chronicle the history of that is undeniable. We wanted to make a comprehensive history and showcase, with evidence, that this is how they built the success of their networks on our backs, and we almost don’t have anything to show for it as a result. It’s tragic, and history repeats itself."
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Issa Rae & The Kennedy Center
Elsewhere, she also spoke on DEI rollbacks from United States president Donald Trump and the general pushback to diversity initiatives. "I feel like the diversity initiative needs a better publicist," Issa Rae said after her Kennedy Center cancelation. "The anti-DEI, the immediate retraction of any efforts to level the playing field and focus on our stories, I think it [comes from] a big misunderstanding and a fear." In addition, she also spoke on how the entertainers she spoke to for Seen & Heard all have unique and amazing stories that deserve the spotlight and will inspire more Black creatives.
Meanwhile, Issa Rae is finding a lot of success in her recent entertainment ventures, such as One Of Them Days' box office success. The SZA and Keke Palmer-fronted film is just the latest step in Rae's dynamic and compelling career, and now she hopes to use her platform for more conscious and community-focused action. Hopefully this will eventually lead to a big paradigm shift in the future...
