This is We See You, Sis, an emotionally penetrating video series aimed at celebrating Black women who make an impact online, while digging deeper into their emotional health and well-being beyond their most “liked” posts.
If you know anything about Crissle West, one half of The Read podcast, aka the most popular Black podcast of all time, you know she’s never craved the spotlight. But the light beaming down on Crissle is the reward of being herself.
And who is Crissle? She is the all-too-real, opinionated, trusted voice of queer Black women. She’s a goofy girl who has learned to no longer make apologies for those unpolished portions of her personality.
She told ESSENCE, “I’ve also always felt some shame around some parts of me. I’ve always been considered kind of goofy, or not as sophisticated or as prissy as a lot of the other girls; just being able to let go of all those expectations and fully embrace who I am, makes me feel like the people around me really see me.”
As The Read podcast has been extended into television—Fuse TV has picked up Kid Fury and Crissle 85 million listener podcast—now the world sees Crissle as her multifaceted self.
Crissle said, “Being seen is when you’re comfortable enough to let your guard down in front of people and let them see who you really are without any pretense or gloss, without being asked to change anything about yourself, but just being appreciated for who you truly, genuinely are.”
So what’s next for the Crissle, the reluctant superstar? According to her, a much more low key life lies ahead for her. “I don’t plan on being in entertainment forever. I want to go back to school and become a therapist eventually, start my own practice, or healing center. I don’t know what it’s going to look like.”
Check out the video above with Crissle talking about her purpose, being seen and all kinds of “Oprah @$% sh*t.”
