By: Denise Kyeremeh (’23), Staff Writer
Loud. Angry. Strong. Dangerous. Uneducated. These are just a few stereotypes of Black people that exist in popular culture. Television and film have played a significant role in reinforcing these stereotypes. Contemporary media is crucial in controlling the narrative. The emergence of Black sitcoms in the 1970s with shows like Good Times and The Jeffersons offered a new perspective on Black families while the 90s brought more shows about young, Black people discovering the world.
I grew up watching reruns of shows like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Recently I have been obsessed with the 90s Black sitcom, Living Single. Centered around a group of New York City friends, Living Single strays from the wholesome family content deals with problems ranging from natural hair in the workplace to the struggles of dating a friend’s ex. The show follows the lives of successful Black professionals including a magazine publisher, a stockbroker, and an attorney. The concept drew me in, but the laughs kept me glued to the screen as I watched episode after episode. The main characters never fail to mock each other but always uplift one another at the end of the day. As I watched more episodes, I realized the significance of watching Black characters navigate through modern society on television.
An entire generation of kids grew up without a strong presence of Black sitcoms. This is important because Black sitcoms address topics about race, class, and identity through a comedic lens. They can discuss heavy issues like colorism while still leaving the audience hopeful at the end of the episode. The characters depict the diversity that exists within the Black community and reconstruct societal definitions of beauty, Blackness, and culture. Most mainstream shows don’t develop Black characters in their full identity and whitewash their problems. Additionally, television shows often reduce Black characters to sidekicks, best friends, or tokens for “diversity.” The lack of authenticity in Black characters creates distrust between Black audiences and show creators.
With Netflix’s release of several old Black tv shows, and the popularity of modern shows like Black-ish, it seems as though networks are recognizing the importance of Black-created content. Movies like Get Out and Black Panther dominated the box-office and exemplified the benefits of appealing to Black audiences. Diversity is a popular buzzword in contemporary media. However, Black people are not a monolith that writers can use to fulfill a diversity standard. Black content is not just important because of its profitability, it is critical for representing the multi-faceted Black experience around the world. It gives Black children role models to look up to and futures to look forward to.
Blackness, in and of itself, is diverse. Black people take all kinds of paths in life and it is essential for those complexities to be portrayed on screen. With a vast array of Black characters in media, the Black community’s nuances can be effortlessly displayed. When Black characters are able to live their whole truth unapologetically, it impacts society at large. Black people can see themselves in the characters they admire and people of all backgrounds can relate because the characters portray an authentic human experience.
