How Lena Waithe is Changing Television

The creator of "The Chi" is turning her clout into opportunities for others.

Lena Waithe attends the 2018 Essence Black Women In Hollywood Oscars Luncheon at Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel on March 1, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California.  (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images for Essence)
Lena Waithe attends the 2018 Essence Black Women In Hollywood Oscars Luncheon at Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel on March 1, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images for Essence)
Getty Images for Essence

Lena Waithe is on the cover of the new Vanity Fair, and Jacqueline Woodson’s accompanying profile details Waithe’s incredible rise. Coming off an Emmy win for her semi-autobiographical Master of None episode and the breakout success of the show she created, The Chi, Waithe is amassing power in Hollywood and using it to champion black and queer artists. She currently co-chairs the Writers Guild’s Committee of Black Writers and works with the Black List, a group that offers marginalized people a way to get feedback on their writing. According to her friend and TV showrunner Justin Simien, Waithe has helped nearly 100 writers find a way into workshops. Waithe has more vehicles on the way, as she’s working on a TBS sitcom named Twenties and slated to appear in Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One. Given Waithe’s track record, she will continue to use her triumphs as a means of promoting the works of young artists.

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