Issa Rae shares Maya Angelou’s advice that continues to guide her life and career

Issa Rae is crediting a timeless piece of wisdom from the late poet and author Maya Angelou as one of the most influential guiding principles in her personal and professional life.

Speaking at the Create Canva/Building Creative Empires for Social Good event at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on April 16, Rae reflected on the advice Angelou once shared about trusting intuition and recognizing people’s true character early on.

“My girl Maya says when someone shows you they are, believe them the first time,” Rae said. “If you have a feeling, obviously, your gut tells you everything you know.”

Angelou, who died in 2014 at age 86, has long been celebrated for her literary work and enduring life lessons that continue to resonate across generations.

Rae explained that over the years, she has learned to better recognize early warning signs in both personal and professional situations, even when she tried to overlook them.

“Sometimes I’ve had situations where I’ve tried to give someone the benefit of the doubt, but I knew in the back of my mind,” she said, adding that she often feels physical cues like tension when something feels off.

“I’ve given too many chances,” she added, noting that she now applies Angelou’s advice more consistently in business decisions than in personal relationships.

During the same panel discussion, Rae also reflected on her career achievements, highlighting her hit HBO series Insecure as one of her proudest accomplishments.

The show, which ran from 2016 to 2021, earned Rae multiple Emmy nominations and helped pave the way for more diverse voices in television writing and production.

She also spoke about her recent success producing films, including One of Them Days, starring Keke Palmer and SZA, which crossed major box office milestones and strengthened her commitment to expanding opportunities for Black-led comedies in Hollywood.