Marsai Martin ESSENCE Girls United

Bossip Video

A memeable mini-mogul is covering a digital ESSENCE cover and looking amazing while doing so.

Source: Ramona Rosales / Courtesy Of Essence

Marsai Martin, a.k.a. the youngest executive producer in Hollywood history, is on the cover of ESSENCE’s first-ever Girls United digital cover and in full bloom with Ramona Rosales shot photos.

While chatting with ESSENCE Girls United – the premier destination for young Black women leaders and cultural disruptors –Marsai dished on everything from diversity in Hollywood, rewriting the rules, and living authentically as a young Black woman.

She also participated in the first ESSENCE Girls United Summit on October 10th, the weekend of the International Day of the Girl, and held a masterclass to share her wisdom.

See tidbits from Marsai’s ESSENCE Girls United digital cover story below.

ON LIVING AUTHENTICALLY:

“I’m always myself…I’m in the space I’m in right now because I was just always unapologetically myselfâ€‹…”

ON INCLUSION IN HOLLYWOOD:

Marsai’s mother, Carol Martin, has told the story of a few agencies who initially turned Marsai down because they already represented a Black girl and didn’t see the value in having another. Though representation has become the rallying cry for companies and institutions in recent years, Black people know that inclusivity can often be a marketing tactic—or simply something to say. But when it’s genuine, Marsai wholly believes in it, as people recognize its power.

“It really sucks to say, but people are just now starting to understand that we as Black people have very creative minds and we won’t stop until we get thereâ€‹…”

ON PITCHING HER FILM “LITTLE”:

“Honestly, when I pitched the film, I thought about it as a whole bunch of dudes sitting around a table talking about our projects and what we have in our heads,” she quips. Of course, two of those “dudes” were executive producers Will Packer and Black-ish creator, Kenya Barris.