Issa Rae Says You ‘Need to Be Smarter’ About Pitching Shows With a Diverse Cast Now That DEI ‘Has Become a Bad Word’: ‘Hollywood Is in an Identity Crisis’

Home TV News Apr 12, 2026 12:11pm PT Issa Rae Says You ‘Need to Be Smarter’ About Pitching Shows With a Diverse Cast Now That DEI ‘Has Become a Bad Word’: ‘Hollywood Is in an Identity Crisis’ By Jack Dunn Plus Icon Jack Dunn Latest Bryan Cranston Defends ‘Breaking Bad’ Wife Skyler from Fans Who Thought She Was a ‘Bitch’: ‘Her Husband Leaves Without Any Explanation… He’s Making Crystal Methamphetamine’ 34 minutes ago Scarlett Johansson Says it Was ‘Socially Acceptable’ for Young Actresses to Be ‘Pulled Apart for How They Looked’ in the Early 2000s: ‘It Was Tough’ 2 hours ago Sabrina Carpenter Apologizes for Mistaking Arabic Celebration Call With Yodeling During Coachella Performance: ‘Could Have Handled it Better’ 20 hours ago See All Getty Images for IMDb Issa Rae recently told The Wrap that “Hollywood is in an identity crisis right now” and is experiencing a downturn in representation both behind and in front of the camera. “I started ‘Awkward Black Girl’ because there was a dearth of representation in the industry, and it felt like this was my opportunity to put an archetype into the space that didn’t exist at the time,” Rae said. “And now, even after so much progress, we’re kind of back to limited representation and having to stake claim of our stories. We’re back where we started, in a way, but wiser.” Related Stories ‘Winnie the Pooh’ Centenary Pop-Up Launches in U.K. with Nat Geo Bees Documentary Tie-In