Janell Hazelwood

Janell Hazelwood is a journalist, speaker, editor, and consultant who has worked for companies including The New York Times, Black Enterprise, and Conde Nast. She's fluent in women's issues, black entrepreneurship, guilty (reality TV) pleasures, and Trini patois.

BOSS UP

Media Personality Erica 'Comeback' Cobb Schools Us On Ownership & Career Redemption

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Human Interest

Then & Now: 10 Black Women Making History, And The Queens Who Paved The Way

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Culture & Entertainment

5 Reasons 'Coming 2 America' Is A Lit Experience For The Culture

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Celebrity News

For International Women's Day, Issa Rae Talks Intentionally Using 'Black' And Riding For Us In The Boardroom

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xoNecole: You're an experienced media professional who, in addition to your day job, started your own platform, Comeback.TV. You've also continued balancing several projects throughout the pandemic. What has that experience been like?

xoNecole: We're always fascinated with processes and the steps to things. Many of us get stuck because we don't really know the how-to of getting unstuck. So, what's your process in terms of motivating yourself to continue creating your own opportunities and pushing past obstacles.

xoNecole: So, true! Investing in yourself plays a big part in shifting the plan when there's a major career transition, and you've had several successful ones. What was the common factor that helped you ride through them all?

Then: Maya Angelou

Now: Amanda Gorman

Then: Mae Jemison

Now: Jeanette Epps

Then: Ella Fitzgerald

Now: Beyonce

Then: Lisa Leslie

Now: Allisha Gray

Then: Shirley Chisholm

Now: Vice President Kamala Harris

Then: Judith Jamison

Now: Amanda Morgan

Then: Lisa Price

Now: Courtney Adeleye

Then: Whoopi Goldberg

Now: Tiffany Haddish

Then: Dolores Shockley, Ph.D.

Now: Kizzmekia Corbett, Ph.D.

Then: Effie Lee Morris

Now: Marley Dias

1. A good number of Black Hollywood legends with young power players—in one film? Count me in.

2. Black women dominate and female empowerment is more than present.

3. African excellence from the continent was actually easy to spot this go 'round.

4. The OG favorite characters from the original don't disappoint.

5. It's a much-needed escape from the current state of the world.

On leading conversations with her team about racial injustice:

Issa on finding community as the only Black professional in the room:

On talking to white colleagues about the real meaning of allyship:

Issa on the importance of the word 'Black':