Celebrating the Impact of Black Television
Representation and inclusion matters, that’s why television created for black people, created by black people, is important. Over the years we've experienced phenomenal series air on primetime television that made us laugh, cry, and ignite passionate debates and discussions with family and friends. Whether it was Girlfriends, The Cosby Show, The Bernie Mac Show, or even The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, viewers were glued to their TV screens with excitement. Mara Brock Akil, Kenya Barris, Larry Wilmore, and Yvette Lee Bowser are among the many gifted writers and producers who broke barriers and made our favorite comedy and drama series come to life. And that legacy is being continued with the current golden age of television created by writers like Issa Rae, Justin Simien, Michaela Coel, Ava DuVernay, and Courtney Kemp. Below is a list highlighting some of your favorite black television shows past and present.
Classics:
A Different World (1987-1993)
A spinoff of The Cosby Show, A Different World was the benchmark of the black college experience during the late 80's, early 90's. A fictional HBCU in the state of Virginia, Hillman College was home to our favorite college students Dwayne Wayne (Kadeem Harrison), Whitley Gilbert (Jasmine Guy), Kim Reese (Charnale Brown), Freddie Brooks (Cree Summer), and Ron Johnson (Darryl Bell). On A Different World, our favorite college sweethearts Whitley and Dwayne took us on a romantic rollercoaster with their on and off again relationship. And the gang always brought us back to the Pit to study, eat, and hang out. But beyond love and studies, the show challenged its audience and tackled controversial themes like racism, domestic violence, safe sex, and politics. While we’ve graduated from Hillman, its groundbreaking lessons will live on forever.
Living Single (1993-1998)
Regine's confidence and style, Max's wit and humor, Synclaire's ‘woo woo woo’ optimism, and Khadijah's cool was what made up the lovely ladies of Living Single. Residing in a Brooklyn brownstone, Khadijah James (Queen Latifah) and Synclaire James (Kim Coles), both cousins, and Regine Hunter (Kim Fields), Khadijah’s childhood friend, were roommates navigating life as young black professionals alongside their frequent visiting friend Max Shaw (Erika Alexander) and neighbors Kyle Barker (T.C. Carson) and Overton Jones (John Henton). Whether Khadijah was running her magazine Flavor with the help of Synclaire, who was often cuddled up with her honey Obie, or secret lovebirds Kyle and Max were exchanging insults with one another, the Living Single crew always had each other’s back.
Martin (1992-1997)
Martin was another pivotal comedy series that changed TV and hip-hop forever. Martin Payne (Martin Lawrence) was a radio disk jockey living his day to day life in Detroit, but somehow always got into bizarre situations with his girlfriend, Gina Waters (Tisha Campbell-Martin), his buddies Tommy Strawn (Thomas Mikal Ford) and Cole Brown (Carl Anthony Payne II), and Gina’s best friend and Martin’s arch-enemy, Pam James (Tichina Arnold). Martin made our hearts swoon over Martin and Gina’s playful relationship, and it made us laugh until our bellies hurt with ridiculous characters played by Lawrence himself like ghetto neighbor Sheneneh Jenkins or flashy, gold toothed Jerome.
Current:
Insecure (2016-)
Living in gentrified L.A., best friends Issa Dee (Issa Rae) and Molly Carter (Yvonne Orji) are in their late twenties navigating the insecurities of their personal and professional lives as black women. Issa struggles to find contentment in her relationship with longtime boyfriend Lawrence (Jay Ellis), and at her job We Got Y’all, a non-profit catering to intercity kids. Molly on the other hand, a successful, hard-working attorney, struggles within her dating life trying find Mr. Right. The romantic relationships and career battles the characters face on Insecure are all too relatable. A mirrored reality for its viewers, specifically young black millennials, we see so much of ourselves in these stories and characters. Insecure isn’t afraid to push boundaries and delve into vulnerability, that’s why it leaves us analyzing each episode week after week.
Atlanta (2016-)
Atlanta focuses on Earn Marks’ (Donald Glover) attempt to manage his cousin Alfred ‘Paper Boi’ Miles’ (Brian Tyree Henry) rap career after learning his song goes viral. With Alfred’s quirky friend Darius (Lakeith Stanfield) by their side, the trio tries to maneuver their way through the music industry. Earn, a broke college dropout from the prestigious Princeton, seeks to find his purpose, provide for his daughter, and mend his rocky relationship with Van (Zazie Beetz), ex-girlfriend and mother of his daughter. Alfred tries to balance life in the hood hustling and drug-dealing with Darius and his new found sense of celebrity as a rapper. Atlanta highlights race, mental health, and day to day life in a simplistic and humorous manner.
Black-ish (2014-)
An upper-middle class black family living in the suburbs of LA, Andre Johnson, a senior VP at an advertising firm (Anthony Anderson), and his wife Rainbow Johnson (Tracee Ellis Ross), an anesthesiologist, strive to give their four children Zoey (Yara Shahidi), Andre Jr. (Marcus Scribner), Jack (Miles Brown), and Diane (Marsai Martin) the best. Living, working, and going to school in almost all-white environments, Dre fears his children will lose their black identity and makes it his duty to educate them about their roots. But with the help of Dre’s parents Ruby Johnson (Jenifer Lewis) and Earl “Pops” Johnson (Laurence Fishburne), Dre and Rainbow teach the kids the importance of their blackness. Black-ish excellently blends comedy and serious issues like police brutality and money management, encouraging viewers to have an honest, open dialogue with their families.
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