Avenger of the Week | Lena Waithe

So we’re a little late to this party, but given the fact that people are still buzzing about Lena Waithe, we’re taking this opportunity to recognize her as our Avenger of the Week. The first Black woman to be nominated and win an Emmy Award for comedy writing, she wasn’t even aware of that fact until she was told by her publicist. Believe it or not, the first time a woman was nominated for comedy writing was in 1954 (we assumed it would be much later), but it would be another 56 years before a woman of color, Mindy Kaling, received the nomination, and it was another 7 years before a woman of color actually won. Now, Waithe is spreading the love and curating a list of talented Black creatives that she can suggest for jobs in the industry.

 

photo credit: New York Television Festival [CC BY-ND 2.0], via Flickr

 
 

The first Black woman to be nominated for and win an Emmy for best comedy writing, @LenaWaithe is lifting up other Black talent. #genderavenger #avengeroftheweek https://www.genderavenger.com/blog/avenger-of-the-week-lena-waithe