Do you intentionally write Mary Jane for a black audience?
Mara: I believe in approaching writing through the specific; the details of a particular culture. So, yes, black people are going to recognize themselves first, and they’re going to be the first ones to validate it. “Yep, you got that right.” There’s an authenticity. That said, most artists want to say [with their work] how we are all more connected than we are different. A lot of people tell us, “I’m Mary Jane, too.”
Salim: It’s a popular thing now in TV to say, “This character happens to be black.” But one thing I’ve always admired about our approach is that we actually do black on purpose. We’re not shy about saying that.
