Bio: Jo-Issa Rae Diop credited professionally as Issa Rae, is an American actress, writer, producer, and comedian. Rae first garnered attention for her work on the YouTube web series Awkward Black Girl. Since 2011, Rae has continued to develop her YouTube channel, which features various short films, web series, and other content created by black people.
Tivia: She grew up in Potomac, Maryland, and Los Angeles, California; and spent a short period in Dakar, Senegal.Her father, Abdoulaye Diop, is a doctor from Senegal and her mother, Delyna Diop (n��e Hayward), is an educator, who is African-American, from Louisiana.Received the "Vanguard Award" at the 10th annual Essence Black Women In Hollywood event, February, 2017.Graduated from Stanford University in 2007 with a major in African and African-American Studies.She first began writing and acting while in college.She considered going to business school or law school before her acting career began.Merited a place in TIME magazine's ''The 100 Most Influential People'' (pioneers) with an homage penned by Mindy Kaling [April 2018].Second cousin with actress Taye Hansberry.