Issa Rae: DEI Has Become a 'Bad Word' Amid Hollywood's Identity Crisis

Issa Rae says Hollywood is in an identity crisis and the DEI push has shifted into a negative term, with fewer investments and a pivot toward social-media creators; she notes that women of color still face barriers getting projects greenlit and that execs fear jeopardizing their jobs, prompting marketers to frame shows around class rather than race. Rae, who built Insecure from Awkward Black Girl and recently signed a three-year Paramount first-look deal, argues that representation has regressed even as she remains committed to telling stories that center underrepresented voices.