No more downplaying in 2024: A word from Issa Rae
The end of the year is wrapping up and the new year is quickly approaching us. It is during this time that many begin to reflect on the past 365 days and start to visualize themselves in the new year. Setting new goals and new intentions.
The other day, while scrolling on TikTok, an award speech from the queen of Insecure popped up on my page. Her words resonated with me and made me think about how I want to carry myself in the new year.
Back in 2019, Issa Rae received the Women In Film Emerging Entrepreneur Award, celebrating women who have made notable contributions to the entertainment industry. During her acceptance speech, Issa Rae drew inspiration from hip-hop.
“As women, we tend to downplay ourselves. We tend to dim our light and we’re kind of conditioned socially to be humble. And I grew up in the age of hip hop…and none of my favorite artists are humble, so in writing my speech, I decided to embrace this moment in honor of them.”
Yeah go back and read that quote again.
Her speech was powerful then and now almost five years later, it’s just as impactful. There is no shame in being unapologetically confident in yourself and in your abilities. If you know you’re a boss, OWN IT. Don’t let anyone hold you back or try to dim your light. Especially as a non-white, non-privileged creative. We all work hard to create and we all pour ourselves into our creations. No one should have the power to undermine that.
In 2024, let's make a promise to ourselves to stop downplaying our accomplishments. Celebrate every achievement with confidence and pride.
Source Image: Giphy.com
