10 Shows That Helped Me Come Into My Own Blackness

This sitcom set in a historically Black college gave me a glimpse into some of the things I may face as a Black woman in higher education. Although I was only in high school when I watched A Different World, I still learned so much. My favourite episode is the one where Cree Summer's character Winnie, feels pressure to straighten her natural curls when she begins working at a Law firm. I loved being able to relate to the feeling that my natural hair wasn't good enough for certain settings. It was so inspiring to see Winnie decide to just be herself and wear her natural hair at the end of the episode.

Partially due to it's catchy theme song ( that I know word for word), the Fresh Prince of Bel Air was my favourite late night sitcom to stay up past my bedtime for. Will Smith and the Banks kids lived out the issues that many suburban Black kids like myself face including, racial profiling, discrimination in school and not being Black enough. The show also put me on to a lot of Black cultural staples from the guest stars that appeared on the show like Queen Latifah and Boyz II Men.

Moving to a predominantly white neighbourhood, I struggled with the beauty standards that seemed to be dominant there; I never felt completely beautiful in my dark skin and braids. Enter: Moesha. Brandy was one of the first times I saw someone who looks like me on TV in America. It was also refreshing to see a normal Black girl living out a normal life at a time where Black people were often painted with dysfunction in the media.

This show made everyone wish they had a twin sister. Like many of the 90s sitcoms, Sister Sister reruns would come on late at night, but that never stopped me from staying up to watch the marathons. Many of my own life experiences mirrored the plot of the show, like having my first crush and hiding bad grades from my mom. Tia and Tamera served as a template for me on how to deal with the little complications that came with being a teenager. They were basically the sisters I never had.

This show never failed to have me on the ground with laughter while also teaching me a poignant lesson. As Chris and his family navigate the ups and downs of living in Brooklyn in the 80s, their experiences shed light on some important issues like poverty and police brutality. Being an only child, I also enjoyed watching the hilarious dynamic between Chris and his siblings.

My mom claimed I was too young to be watching this show, but sneaking around and watching it while she wasn't around was half the fun. Seeing 4 successful Black women thriving in their friendships, careers and love lives gave me a hopeful glimpse into what life as an independent Black woman could be like. I also saw so much of myself in Toni Childs-Garrett played by Jill Marie Jones. Through watching her character deal with colorism on the show, I felt understood. Seeing Toni face the struggles of being a dark-skin woman and come out on top gave me a boost of confidence to do the same.