Anyone who has watched Insecure knows Issa Rae is no stranger to microaggressions from white colleagues.
Throughout four dynamic seasons, viewers have watched Rae’s alter ego, Issa Dee, tackle awkward moments with white colleagues in her workplace, We Got Y’all. Most notably, these awkward moments came from her former colleague, Frieda (Lisa Joyce).
In a Linkedin conversion to commemorate International Women’s Day, the Emmy-nominated actress, writer and producer did not mince words when it came to dealing with white colleagues in real life.
In the conversation, Rae expressed her exhaustion at white colleagues who ask questions instead of doing the research when it comes to conversations about race.
“A lot of my white colleagues have come up to me just to discuss what they could do, and, you know, I’m always open – some of us can get frustrated, any minority when you’re just like, I feel like I have to learn so much about your culture and you, and I don’t necessarily ask you questions, I do the research,” she said, as reported by The Grio. “And so for me, it’s like, I hope you do the research before you come to me because I’m exhausted,” she said.
However, in that same breath, Rae also expressed the importance of finding community in a place when you are the only person of color in the room. “I think what I’ve learned is I have to at least extend myself in a way before I make a judgment. And then, if I extend myself and then recognize that there’s no one there to receive me, then I can find a community.
Rae recently wrapped the fifth and final season of Insecure, which is expected to premiere late this month on HBO.
