Magazine, The Immigrant Experience
Jo-Issa Rae Diop, the Senegalese-American director, writer, actress, and producer tied the knot with Louis Diame in a fairytale wedding in the South of France on July 25.
She announced the exciting news through social media, sharing a few stunning pictures from the event.
The 36-year-old star of the HBO show was cladded in a stunning custom-made white Vera Wang wedding dress while her longtime love was wearing an elegant red tuxedo.
Her relationship with Diame has been very private up until now. In 2019, speculation about them being engaged grew after she appeared to wear an engagement ring on the cover of Essence magazine. However, both opted to remain silent on the news.
Rae’s husband, Diame is a Senegalese businessman. But according to a private LinkedIn account under his name, Diame is an independent international banking professional in Los Angeles.
Rae’s Early Life
Issa Rae was born in Los Angeles, California. Her father, Abdoulaye Diop, is a Senegalese pediatrician and neonatologist, and her mother, Delyna Diop (née Hayward) is a Louisianan teacher. The combination of Rae’s grandmothers’ names, Joyce and Isseu, gave her the birth name Jo-Issa. Her middle name, Rae, is named after her artist aunt. Her parents met while both were in school in France. Her father now practices medicine in Inglewood, California.
Rae’s family lived a relatively normal life until gang violence began to creep into the neighborhood. It was Rae’s mother who insisted that they relocate to Senegal, and her father agreed. Rae’s father hoped that living in Africa would instill discipline and respect for their culture in his children.
In 1988, the couple moved into a magnificent house in an upscale neighborhood in Dakar, equipped with security guards and maids. She spent a short period living in Dakar, Senegal, while she was growing up. She mostly grew up in Potomac, Maryland. When Rae was in 6th grade, her parents moved to the Los Angeles neighborhood, where she started attending a black school. She graduated from the King Drew Magnet High School of Medicine and Science.
Her Career
Rae is a promising young star in Hollywood who writes, produces, directs, and acts. She first gained attention for her work on the YouTube web series Awkward Black Girl. As the creator and star of the hit HBO show, Insecure, she received numerous Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. She won the Black Reel Awards for Television (2017) for ‘Insecure’ for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series and the NAMIC Vision Awards (2017) for ‘Best Performance in a Comedy’.
Additionally, she made it into the Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world in 2018. The young star was also included on the annual Forbes ’30 Under 30′ list in 2012, and Glamour magazine’s ’35 under 35′ list in 2013.
Rae got her bachelor’s degree in Arts and African and African-American Studies from Stanford University in 2007. Her college career included creating music videos, writing and directing plays, and creating a mock reality show, Dorm Diaries.
The young star is a civil rights and women’s rights activist. She has been actively raising her voice against police violence, and used her platform to draw attention towards the discrimination and crimes against African-Americans. She raised $700,000 to help the Sterling children attend college after the police shot Alton Sterling in 2016.
