Ashley Nicole Black Is Having a Big Bitch Summer

People started responding to my tweet with their bikini pictures, selfies, and messages complimenting each other. I didn't see a single negative response. For once, the timeline was all joy. There was one picture of a black woman on the beach in her bikini, giving the camera the biggest smile. We should all be able to smile and do the most on the beach. That's what I think Big Bitch Summer is all about, having a great time instead of waiting for someone else to do it for you.

I've been channeling this energy while working on my new series, A Black Lady Sketch Show. I star on it alongside Robin Thede, Quinta Brunson, and Gabrielle Dennis—and those women will not let you have a bad day. Even if you come to work just wearing a ponytail and a T-shirt, Robin will be like, "Okay, T-shirt! I see you, casual look!"

I've been surrounded by female positivity in every arena this summer, and it's felt great. From the writers to the cast to the hair, makeup, and wardrobe departments—I am surrounded by women supporting me in my work. It's a great feeling, and it really supercharged my creativity. There was one scene where I had a long, very technically difficult monologue in front of a roomful of extras. That's tough for any actor, but I felt confident because I knew my whole crew had my back. Then, after my first take, Robin cried because she was so proud of me.

I never expected to feel so good as an actor. Before I became a writer on shows like Full Frontal With Samantha Bee, I dreamed of acting. But then I realized I didn't fit neatly into one of Hollywood's preferred types. If you're an ingenue, you're going to work. But if you're a plus-size black woman, it's harder.

It's not even that the parts are small or bad. It's that a lot of the parts written for people like me are just plain offensive. Here's an example from one of the scores of auditions I chose not to go on: a "plus-size black woman who doesn't take care of herself, and that's why she's so mean." It's like the writer thought "big and black" and then…stopped thinking.

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