We Heart: Issa Rae and a Bunch of Cute Kids Taking On the Pay Gap

Issa Rae, of the popular YouTube (and soon to be HBO series) “The Mis-adventures of Awkward Black Girl”, recently collaborated with the Make It Work foundation to produce a poignant short about the gender pay gap in America.

What makes the video particularly enjoyable is the added emphasis on how unequal pay affects women of color. Directed by Golnar Fakhrai and written by Joy Jenkins, this video bravely examines the impact of intersectional oppression and how the unjust distribution in pay is not just about gender—but also about race.

Watch the video below to see actors Anika Noni Rose as the “Corporate Female” and Gabriel Mann as the “Corporate Male” as they (unsuccessfully) try to justify the pay gap to children selling lemonade.

It seems like a simple enough proposition—equal pay for equal or comparable work. But as recent debates have shown, there are still plenty of people—including those with power in Congress—who can’t get behind it.

Here’s hoping Rae and her band of adorable mini-feminists can get the point across in plain English.

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About

Vienna Urias is an editorial intern at Ms.