As a veteran in the fast-paced world of network television, Raamla Mohamed has learned how to craft TV magic—swiftly. “My writing process is like Maxwell,” says Mohamed, 43. “Whenever, wherever, whatever.”
The creator and showrunner of the Hulu legal drama Reasonable Doubt takes no shortcuts, however, when it comes to the narratives she presents on-screen. Having climbed up the ranks in the entertainment industry—working as an intern at Fox Searchlight while earning a Master’s in Fine Arts from the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, then landing her first job as a PA on the reality show Trading Spouses—she’s no stranger to working hard. Her big break came in the form of a writer’s PA gig, during season six of Grey’s Anatomy. This placed her in Shondaland, where she remained for the next nine years: as a researcher on Scandal, then moving up to staff writer and eventually supervising producer.
“That show was so important to a lot of Black women,” says Mohamed of the ABC political drama. “Kerry Washington was the first Black woman to headline a network show on television in 37 years. For me, seeing how that impacted other Black women, how people showed up for Kerry, how people showed up for Shonda Rhimes, and also that it was a hit show—that inspired me to want to put more Black women on television.”
Mohamed does exactly that with Jax (played by Emayatzy Corinealdi) and her group of girlfriends in Reasonable Doubt. The show features a crew of relatable women who, like many of us, excel in one area of adult life—often professional roles—yet struggle with relationships, parenting or other aspects of the everyday.
“I feel like we often think we have to be one or the other, either ratchet or professional, and that can really separate us as Black women,” says Mohamed. “A lot of my friends are both, and there’s nothing wrong with it,” she adds with a laugh. “We can listen to Juvenile and also be in a courtroom. And I really want to see more characters on television who represent that dichotomy and show that we are not just one voice.”
“Black love is not just romance. It’s platonic love, familial love. It’s supporting each other.”
—Raamla Mohamed
Mohamed is particularly keen to continue exploring expressions of Black love in the series, which has been renewed for a third season. “Black love is really the theme of my show right now,” she says, “and it’s not just romance. It’s platonic love. It’s familial love. It’s showing the importance of us supporting each other—whether in partnership, friendship or professional relationships.”
Mohamed practices that approach in real life. She has stacked the creative team behind the series with other Black women, including co-executive producer Natasha Tash Gray, directors Julie Dash and Numa Perrier, and writers such as Michelle Flowers, Loy A. Webb and Natalia Temesgen. “As a Black woman in a leadership position, it’s very important for me to have other Black women in production on set,” she explains. “The more that other people see us in various roles—whether it’s as a PA or someone like me, who’s a showrunner—the more it normalizes us being in this world and having these positions. When I have PAs or ADs or anyone working on set, and they see me in charge, I think it inspires them to know, I can do this, too.”
It was ESSENCE’s 2024 Black Women in Hollywood honoree Nkechi Okoro Carroll who served as that inspiration and encouragement for Mohamed on her journey. “When I met her, she was a co-executive producer, and she was someone I could reach out to and talk to about being a Black writer in this industry,” Mohamed says. “She was accessible. And I’m just so happy for her, because at one point she had three shows on the air, and she is still the exact same person. I could text her right now and ask her a question.”
Mohamed, who’s thrilled to be among the 2025 class of BWIH honorees, didn’t get into the business of Hollywood to seek accolades, or even to simply entertain—though, she admits, “I really do enjoy when people come up to me and say they love the show and that they’ve told their friends about it.” But she’s even more moved when viewers describe connections they’ve made between their own lives and those of the characters she’s created. “I’ve had people tell me they’ve gotten into couple’s therapy because of the show,” she says, “or they have a better understanding of abuse that a friend has experienced. For me, being able to tell those stories, and have it impact people’s lives like that, is really important—because I remember being younger and watching television shows that I loved, and I also remember how they got me through hard times. That keeps me motivated.”
As Mohamed continues to be the change she wants to see in the industry, she’s hopeful about the future of entertainment for Black creatives—despite global, national and local events that have the potential to threaten hard-won progress.
“What I really would like to see over the next 10 years in Hollywood,” she says, “is that we not only sustain what we’re doing but also improve our station. Hollywood is at an interesting impasse right now—and sometimes when our industry changes, that means that Black women, Black men and people of color get ousted. So I’m hoping that doesn’t happen this time around, and that there will be more opportunities.
“I also think that people are wanting to see more complicated characters of color on-screen, and hear our stories,” Mohamed adds. “I hope that because of the successes of Reasonable Doubt and other shows, like Power, people really understand that there is not only an interest in stories about Black people on television, but there’s a place for us behind the scenes as well.”
CREDITS:
Photographed by Kanya Iwana
Styled by Zerina Akers
Raamla Hair: Sean Fears using Got2B at OPUS Beauty
Raamla Makeup: Amber Burgin
Nails: Temeka Jackson using The GelBottle & Tammy Taylor Nails at A-Frame
Set Design: Priscilla Lee
Tailor: Shirlee Idzakovich
Photography Assistants: Sebastian Johnson & Sandy Rivera
Digital Technician: Aron Norman
Fashion Assistant: Dre Romero
Set Assistant: Adam Quinn
Production: The Morrison Group
Production Manager: Cecilia Alvarez Blackwell
Production Assistants: Aaliyah Henderson & Frankie Benkovic
Post Production: Samantha Nandez
Location: Apache Studios
Special Thanks: Pickles & Peas Food Truck
