feel good feel good By Fredaye Wilkes
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Starring Will Smith, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is a ‘90s sitcom classic. The comedic show was about a boy who moves in with his wealthy aunt, uncle, and cousins, who live in Bel-Air. Will brings his Philadelphia culture and bold personality, disrupting his upper-class relatives’ lives for the better. The show addresses serious topics while staying light-hearted. Overall, the show was a well-curated place for Black families to watch something with a cast that reflected the diversity of Black people.
The Proud Family/The Boondocks (TIE)
The Proud Family was an animated Disney Channel show that gave insight on an average African-American teenage girl’s life. The point of view is what made the show so original. One of the first shows of its kind, many viewers gravitated towards and could relate to Penny Proud, whether through her annoying parents, school troubles, or teenage drama.
Martin
Martin is arguably a classic and was based around the life of a young adult Black male. Set in Detroit, Martin lives an entertaining life of a bachelor--for part of the show--with his friends, who have just as distinguished personalities as he. This show is iconic so much that you can still catch late night reruns of it on BET.
That’s So Raven
That’s So Raven, a Disney original show starring Raven Symone, a teenage psychic, who is constantly put in crazy situations, but with the support of her friends, family, and psychic abilities, she always manages to get through her situation. It is easy for many to relate because Raven had a schemeful brother, annoying teachers, but also, she was an admirable character who dressed well, had two best friends, and had so much fun. The addition of her being psychic gave younger viewers a wild imagination. This show makes you feel good by Raven’s fashionista personality, colorful settings, cheerful cast, and catchy theme song.
Blackish
Blackish is a television sitcom following a suburban upper-middle class Black family. In the show, the father (played by Anthony Anderson) has a successful job and a beautiful family, however, he tries “to create a sense of ethnic identity” for his family. Their day-to-day life is kept light-hearted and portrayed in a comedic way—much like the other shows on this list.
black black shows shows Renegade Magazine Fall '19 Issue.indd 35
Renegade | 35
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