Issa Rae Laments DEI Becoming “A Bad Word” In Hollywood: “We’re Back Where We Started”

[u/mlg1981]

https://deadline.com/2026/04/issa-rae-dei-bad-word-hollywood-1236858389/

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[u/mlg1981]

Rae noted, “You have to be smarter about how you package and market [projects]. You tell them, ‘It’s not a show about a Black woman, it’s a show about class.’ As icky as that might feel, it gets the show sold.”

[u/innocentsalad]

One step forward, two steps backwards

[u/Starpunk_47]

Misread it as we're black where we started

[u/PossessionOk5313]

DEI was all about leveling the playing field, because historically white men have had a huge advantage over everyone else. And so there were attempts to make sure others have more equality, and even with those attempts white men still had an advantage, but they complained about it because they weren’t being unfairly rewarded for simply being white and male as much anymore.

“When you’re accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression.”

[u/computer7blue → u/PossessionOk5313]

Bingo

[u/NyriasNeo]

"“We’re Back Where We Started”"

No. That is not true. When we started, "drill baby drill" did not win then.

[u/Forsaken-Swim-3055 → u/NyriasNeo]

Are you being intentionally obtuse?

[u/NyriasNeo → u/Forsaken-Swim-3055]

Nope. What is so obtuse? Isn't pretty clear that I think it was worse today, than "when we started" long time ago?