ABC’s Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated comedy series “Black-ish” follows the lives of an upper-class black family living in a predominantly white community. Premiering in 2014, and still running today, the show takes a lighthearted and comedic approach to a man’s efforts to give his family a sense of cultural identity. Black-ish is a casual and enjoyable show to watch, it seamlessly includes thought-provoking conversations about race with relatable families and everyday problems. Both parents in the show have high-class and high-earning jobs, leaving them to live in a large house in a wealthy LA neighborhood. Although, this may seem disproportional to many Black families the show makes it a point to talk about this privilege.
In many ways, this show relates to the information we discussed in class. In relation to Ahmad and his thoughts about the Self and the Other, the family could be put into the category of the latter, the Other. The pilot episode has a very particular scene that stood out to me regarding this thought. The father, Dre, explains what it’s like to be one of the only black families in a white neighborhood by comparing it to a bus tour that passes by their house as the family stands outside for their amusement. Similar to the one and other there is a group seen differently in society’s eyes in comparison to the rest.
I think that the creators of this show not only wanted to get people to open their eyes to the little things that make up racial injustice and prejudice but also show the audience there isn’t just one way to be a certain race. Ask yourself if you’ve ever found yourself acting like a character in the show, black or white. “Black-ish” hopes to serve as a useful education on race relations and cultural assimilation in modern America.
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