The REAL Problem with Issa Rae | Black Women: Who Gets to Tell OUR Stories?

Issa Rae is facing backlash for producing One of Them Days, a buddy comedy starring Keke Palmer and SZA about working class Black life. This Issa Rae controversy has reignited the Black excellence critique and raised questions about unrelatable Black women, class privilege, and who gets to tell authentic Black stories in media. In this video, I explore why ease vs struggle continues to shape how Black women creators are received—and why representation in Black media often requires pain to be seen as legitimate. From Insecure to Hoorae, Issa Rae continues to disrupt respectability politics and expand what success can look like. We talk about Black women and success, the myth of relatability, working class Black stories, and what’s really underneath the discomfort. If you’ve ever felt like your story wasn’t “real” enough to be valid, this one’s for you. #issarae #kekepalmer #oneofthemdays #sza 🌱 R E S O U R C E S M E N T I O N E D: ▷ Changing My Life in 6 Months, Part 1 —    • 45 Years Old: How I'm TOTALLY CHANGING My ...   ✨ W O R K W I T H ME: 🌹 HAUS OF EASE WEBSITE — https://hausofease.com/ ⚡️ [FREE] BURNOUT RECOVERY TOOLKIT — For exhausted, high-achieving women who want to rest but don’t know where to start — https://hausofease.myflodesk.com/burn... 💫 ALIGNMENT HOUR — 1:1 call for clarity + confidence in supporting your next steps — https://hausofease.com/alignment-hour 🌹 SUCCESS RESET — 3-month mentorship for ease, alignment, and sustainable success — https://hausofease.com/success-reset 📖 C H A P T E R S: 00:00 — The Trap of Black Excellence 02:50 — Policing Black Women’s Stories 07:11 — The Backlash to Ease and Success 10:00 — Black Love vs Black Performance 14:30 — The Myth of Relatability ✨ C O N N E C T: Follow me on Instagram ⁠⁠  / l.the.goddess_   ✨ M Y E Q U I P M E N T: Camera — Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II https://amzn.to/41UZv0F Microphone — Blue Yeti USB https://amzn.to/4gUJZ9g Desktop Computer — iMac 24-inch https://amzn.to/4a4QJ2s Lapotp Computer — MacBook Air 13-inch https://amzn.to/49W5FzI Ring LIght — Neewer 18" https://amzn.to/3DwqgP8 ✨ M Y T O O L S: FLODESK: How I create beautiful emails — https://flodesk.com/c/OJO1AW VIDIQ: How I optimize videos — https://vidiq.com/lthegoddess EPIDEMIC SOUND: Where I get music for vidoes — https://share.epidemicsound.com/3qzp02 RIVERSIDE: How I easily edit videos + podcasts — https://bit.ly/3PgbHSf VRBO: Where I sleep sometimes — https://vrbo.com/affiliates/vrbo-home... EXPEDIA: How I fly sometimes — https://expedia.com/affiliates/expedi... ✨ S U B S C R I B E: Subscribe to L: The Goddess TV for more transformational videos!    / @lthegoddess7   © Copyright L'Erin Alta LLC 2025 L'Erin Alta LLC Disclaimer: L'Erin Alta LLC and its agents are not a mental/medical health practitioner or mental/medical health provider and is not holding itself out to be in any capacity. L'Erin Alta LLC and its agents are not providing counseling or therapy services or attempting to diagnose, treat or cure in any manner whatsoever any physical or mental ailment. L'Erin Alta LLC and its agents provide coaching/mentoring to help you reach your own goals through personal accountability. Please Note: L'Erin Alta LLC and L'Erin Alta are not financial coaches or advisers. Information for entertain and inspirational purposes only.