"Television today has a very limited scope and range in its depictions of people of color. As a black woman, I don't identify with and relate to most of the non-black characters I see on TV, much less characters of my own race. When I flip through the channels, it's disheartening. I don't see myself or women like me being represented. I'm not a smooth, sexy, long-haired vixen; I'm not a large, sassy black woman; an angry Post Office employee. I'm an awkward black girl.
And I'm not alone.
I created this series as an extension of my everyday experiences, as well as my friends. I wanted to change the perception and portrayals of black women in television by creating characters and storylines that moved beyond stereotypes and one-dimensionality.
Ever since I launched the show in February, the response has been overwhelming. I've received hundreds of letters from fellow "Awkward Girls" all over the world exclaiming how much they relate to the show and the central character's social struggles as she navigates through life's many awkward situations. They are relieved to know that they aren't alone. They're excited to see a character who represents them. Finally.
Now more than ever, we need more diverse characters and stories on-screen. The golden era of the 90's is long gone. The great television shows from my childhood days—The Cosby Show, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Martin, Living Single— are examples of what great television can and should be. Those shows were diverse, human, entertaining, and intelligent. Though the casts were primarily black, the show's themes and storylines were universal, which was reflected in the millions of people who watched them every week.
Like Cosby and Fresh Prince, I believe ABG is also universal. It's a series with a black female character in the lead role, but at its core, it's about being "awkward," which is a unifying and universal thing that we all have experienced in some capacity. With the series, the lead character, J, faces the most mundane and trivial problems, but they are problems that we all have encountered—and that's where the humor and heart from the show originates.
ABG is simply about embracing the "awkward" person in each and every one of us and learning to accept and love ourselves for who we are."
-Issa Rae
I love her. Y'all should too.
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