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Issa Rae has built her career on being the awkward Black girl, leading her to notoriety and astronomical, lucrative deals. Years later, however, that narrative may be changing. The multifaceted actress first won our hearts years ago with her web series, The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl, in 2011, and she further capitalized off the name with her autobiography. When she premiered her HBO (Max) series Insecurein 2016, it too had the same awkward Black girl theme as her character tried to navigate friends, family, and romantic relationships.
But it’s not just an on-screen persona; the Rap Sh!t executive producer has shared that she is the same way in real life and overall has inspired a category of Black women who, too, identify as the awkward Black girl. Last week, Issa joined Rap Sh!t co-stars KaMillion and Aida Osman on Sherri and revealed whether she still feels like the awkward Black girl.
“I do, but I feel more confident in that way. You know what’s deeply ironic is that Insecure, doing that made me more confident in myself and what I was doing ‘cause I would distance myself from the character like ‘girl, she is stupid,’” she joked. “I’ve come such a long way, you know, still making dumb decisions, but being able to do something like that and work with people I love and step back and say I did that has just instilled a newfound confidence. So, I’m awkwardly confident.”
As Issa’s empire continues to grow, we are sure to see her continue to grow personally and inspire a generation with her realness and relatability.
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Feature image by Emma McIntyre/WireImage for Parkwood
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