An activist and influencer discussed her short-form video series and Black representation in media during an event at Betts Theatre on Thursday.
Lynae Vanee, the host of the Instagram series “Parking Lot Pimpin’” — a series of short videos explaining current events — said she hopes her growing internet following can be used for good. The conversation with moderator Dasia Bandy, a senior and keynote chair for the Black Heritage Celebration committee, was hosted by GW Black Alumni and the BHC committee, kicking off a month of programming celebrating Black History Month.
Vanee starts her 3-minute “Parking Lot Pimpin’” videos by pouring herself a cup of tea in a parking lot to talk about issues like the genocide in Congo or the government shutdown. Vanee’s motto for her shorts is to keep it “Black, but brief,” explaining how current events affect Black people.
Vanee said Black representation in media, like the Cheetah Girls and Penny Proud, sparked her love of storytelling and that media needs to represent Black life, “not just the skin.” She said exposure to poverty and alcoholism at a young age inspired her to become a leader.
“I thought that maybe if I could be educated enough, if I could be a leader enough, that I could show my little cousins who are also coming up in this environment that there is something else available to them,” Vanee said.
Vanee said short-form videos allow her to reach a wider audience and better connect to her viewers by holding their attention.
“I did one or two videos on YouTube that might have been nine minutes, but I knew it was going to be hard to get people to connect with me that way,” Vanee said. “I’m going to lead with ‘I’m gonna keep it Black,’ so you know we’ll be here for a good time, but ‘I’ll keep it brief’ so you know you can scroll in a couple of seconds.”
Her series “Parking Lot Pimpin’” consists of short videos, but the research that goes into them is a time-consuming process, she said. Vanee, who has amassed more than 738,000 followers on Instagram, said she did not seek the fame she has garnered but accepts it as a necessary element to spreading her message.
“I don’t want power,” Vanee said. “The only reason I’m remotely interested in fame is because that is what is going to allow my gift to make room for me in this society.”
Vanee said Black artists and creatives should be unafraid to create representation for themselves, especially at institutions like GW, where 49.7 percent of the student body is white.
“Build the chair,” Vanee said. “Sometimes when they don’t give you a seat at the table you have to bring a folding chair, but in the climate we are in sometimes you have to build the chair and the people will come.”
Vanee, who has been nominated by the NAACP for the Outstanding Social Media Personality Award three years in a row, said she eventually wants to create longer form content that can be more informative than “Parking Lot Pimpin.’”
“One of my dreams and desires is to use information and knowledge to underlie stories and narratives so that you literally trick people into learning,” Vanee said. “That’s what the experience in the ‘Parking Lot’ is. I want them to come back. I want them to have things to think about and go research and expand their mind.”
Vanee said she is proud to have interviewed Vice President Kamala Harris in May and gleaned the most from her interview with actress Issa Rae, who gave her courage in herself and her career. She said she is grateful for the opportunities she has been given to urge change and encouraged others to do the same.
“The content that I’m putting out isn’t just to fight people, isn’t supposed to be a voice box, not be a political vending machine,” Vanee said. “It’s to encourage the goodness of people and to recognize how harmful certain things have been for centuries, for decades, and if you have the power to change it even in your circle, please do.”
