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Whether it’s through her television and film projects or her entrepreneurial moves, Issa Rae has continually used her platform to be a voice for underrepresented communities and now she will bring her knowledge and perspective to the Television Academy. The academy recently announced that it has selected Rae to join its Executive Committee.

Rae’s well-deserved appointment comes at a time when the Television Academy is putting the focus on addressing the lack of diversity in the industry. Although there has been an increase in representation when it comes to actors, racial and gender diversity among television executives has remained stagnant. UCLA’s Hollywood Diversity Report revealed that 8 percent of CEO and studio chair jobs are held by people of color and 32 percent are held by women. The executive committee will include a collective of thought leaders dedicated to evoking change.

Amongst the new appointees who will serve on the committee alongside Rae are award-winning writer, producer, director and actress Gloria Calderón Kellett, ABC Entertainment Senior Vice President Robert Mills, Co-Head of Television at Amazon Studios Vernon Sanders, CEO and partner of Anonymous Content Dawn Olmstead and Chief content officer and head of worldwide video for Apple TV+ Zack Van Amburg. “We are thrilled to be able to leverage the collective expertise of this talented group of Television innovators as we navigate this extraordinary time in the history of our industry,” Frank Scherma, who serves as the Chairman and CEO of the Television Academy, said in a statement. “Their leadership provides invaluable insight that will allow the Academy to play an integral role in shaping the evolution of the medium.”

News about Rae’s milestone comes months after she unveiled her new production company Hoorae. She consolidated her existing entertainment production companies to focus on content creation for television, film and digital.

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