Marsai Martin And Issa Rae Want More Depictions Of Black Girlhood On-Screen

The pair spoke to ESSENCE during a recent junket for the upcoming film "Little," set to hit theaters April 12.

Marsai Martin and Issa Rae think film and TV could use more depictions of Black girlhood.

Speaking at a recent junket for their upcoming film, Little, the pair opened up about the kinds of representation they’d like to see on screen.

Martin, the mind behind the film and executive producer, told ESSENCE that she’d love to see more projects about Black girlhood because “we do all the same things a regular person would, but we’re just not the leads in most of them.”

Rae’s passion for teen movies fueled her interested in coming-of-age stories but she was always disappointed in the roles given to Black characters.

“I want to see [Martin] in all the movies. I love teen movies and Black characters were always just to the side, the token, and I would just love to see a renaissance of Black teen movies.”

Martin added that her goal is to put more Black girls in lead roles and to see them in “relatable TV and films.”