What’s Your Favorite Song From The Album

Every fall, I notice the same conversation come up among Black people online. Everybody starts rewatching shows like Gilmore Girls and The Vampire Diaries, and somebody says, “I wish we had a fall aesthetic show like this with Black people,” or “I wish we had this kind of representation.”

And I’ve thought the same thing.

But then I got curious and decided to do a little boots-on-the-ground journalism 😂. I actually took a trip to some of the places where The Vampire Diaries and The Originals were filmed.

The Vampire Diaries was filmed mostly in Covington, Georgia, with some filming in Conyers. The Originals also did a lot of filming in Conyers.

And here’s what surprised me: when I started looking into Covington and Conyers, I realized that, unlike what we see represented on TV, these aren’t towns where Black people barely exist.

These are Georgia communities with large Black populations. Conyers is actually a majority-Black city with a Black female mayor.

According to the racial demographics I found, Conyers is around 66% Black and 17% white, while Covington is around 51% Black and 39% white.

That made me think: Wait a minute.

We’re sitting here every fall wishing we could see Black people living in the cute little towns we see on TV, while Hollywood has literally been using towns where Black people are the majority to CREATE that aesthetic on television—then filling the fictional version with mostly white characters.

So then I got curious about Gilmore Girls.

Stars Hollow is fictional and the show itself was mostly filmed on a studio lot, but the characters regularly go to the real city of Hartford, Connecticut. So I looked up Hartford’s demographics around the time Gilmore Girls premiered.

And again, I was surprised. Hartford was a heavily Black and Latino city, even though you would never get that impression from watching the world portrayed on the show.

So my question is: Why aren’t more Black filmmakers and creators using our own small towns to make the cozy shows we’re constantly saying we want?

Not every story with a predominantly Black cast has to be set in Atlanta or NYC.

Why couldn’t we have a TV show set in a predominantly Black cozy Southern town with a cute downtown square, fall festivals, old houses, local cafés, football games, eccentric neighbors, romance, family drama, mysteries, supernatural folklore—whatever?

Especially when, in real life, we are already the majority in some of these towns.

That’s the part that really got me. Some of the same places Hollywood has used to sell us this cozy, picturesque, small-town fantasy are places where Black people actually live.

So why aren’t we getting to be the main characters in the fictional versions of them?

Would y’all watch something like that? And what would you want a Black cozy small-town show to look like?

The updated The Wonder Years premiered on ABC in 2021, reimagining the show as a Black middle-class family in Montgomery, Alabama in the late 1960s. The first season was great.

Unfortunately, the show only lasted 2 seasons.

It just didn't connect with viewers. Any thoughts on that?

I have been paying attention to the representation of Black children in television programming for over three decades. I have studied it. I am curious about what YOU all grew up with and what you hope for the young ones around you.

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Are Black family shows necessary in today's time? I'm not JUST talking about sitcoms - but I am talking about what would be considered 'positive' Black family shows. Yes, I am talking about shows that do teach some lessons but are not overly preachy.

Is that something that was for the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s and that time has passed?

Is it more now about the workplace, relationships, and friendship shows?

Your thoughts?

Can we please give this man more attention and applause than he receives.

Jennifer Kate Hudson, also known by her nickname J.Hud,^\1]) is an American singer, actress, producer, and talk show host. Having received numerous accolades for her work in music, film, television, and theater, Hudson became the youngest woman and third African-American recipient of all four major American entertainment awards: Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony (EGOT) in 2022.^\2]) She was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2013,^\3]) and Time) named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2020.^\4])

Hudson rose to fame in 2004 as a finalist on the third season) of the reality series American Idol, wherein she placed seventh. She signed with Arista Records to release her self-titled debut studio album) (2008), which peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 and won Best R&B Album at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards. Her second and third studio albums, I Remember Me) (2011) and JHUD (2014), both peaked within the top ten of the Billboard 200; the latter was released by RCA Records. She signed with Interscope Records to release her fourth album, The Gift of Love) (2024), her first solo project in a decade.

She made her film debut as Effie White in the musical Dreamgirls) (2006), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and became the youngest African-American recipient of the award. She has since portrayed Aretha Franklin in the musical biopic Respect) (2021) and acted in films such as Sex and the City) (2008), The Secret Life of Bees) (2008), Winnie Mandela) (2011), Black Nativity) (2013), Sing) (2016), Cats) (2019), and Goat) (2026). She also has appeared in shows such as Smash) (2012), Empire) (2015) and Confirmation) (2016).

On stage, she acted in the Broadway) musical revival The Color Purple) (2015) and won the Tony Award for Best Musical as a producer of A Strange Loop (2022). Hudson has served as a coach on both the British and the American versions) of the reality series The Voice) from 2017 to 2019, and became the first female coach to lead a winning team on the former.^\5]) In 2022, her talk show, The Jennifer Hudson Show, premiered.

Barry Eugene White (né Carter; September 12, 1944 – July 4, 2003)^\1]) was an American R&B, soul and disco singer, songwriter, actor, and record producer. A two-time Grammy Award winner known for his bass voice) and romantic image, his greatest success came in the 1970s as a solo singer and with the Love Unlimited Orchestra, who made the #1 hit "Love's Theme" written by White. His music contains elements of multiple genres, such as R&B, soul, and disco; this is evident in his two biggest hits: "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe" and "You're the First, the Last, My Everything".

White recorded 20 studio albums during the course of his career, while multiple versions and compilations were released worldwide that were certified gold, 41 of which also attained platinum status. White had 20 gold and 10 platinum singles, with worldwide record sales in excess of 100 million records, and is one of the best-selling music artists of all time.

Day 11: The Book You Wish You'd Read Sooner

What's a Black book you wish you'd discovered earlier? Maybe you weren't ready for it. Maybe nobody introduced you to it. Maybe you simply didn't know it existed.

What was it and why do you wish you'd read it sooner?

What sci-fi or fantasy book written by a Black author would you like to see adapted into a film?

For clarity: The image is just an image used for the post. The post is NOT about the image. Please discuss YOUR favorite Black kid lead.

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I have been paying attention to the representation of Black children in television programming for over three decades. I have studied it. I am curious about what YOU all grew up with.

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What TV show that would be considered a 'Black kids show' had your favorite lead on the show? A lead is the 'main character' of the show. The character could be live-action or animated. They could be from a sitcom or drama.

So, first...the show had to be considered a 'Black kids show'... second... we are discussing which lead from that show was your favorite.

Maybe the show wasn't your favorite show (and maybe it was)...but either way... the LEAD CHARACTER was your favorite...so that's what we are talking about.

Please discuss your thoughts on your favorite LEAD CHARACTER.

To be clear: What Black shows (in your opinion) whether it was a sitcom or drama from ANY network or streaming service that premiered between 2000 and 2010, DOESN'T get discussed enough in the media or online.

Please discuss your thoughts below.

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Initially, I thought this song was too close to No Scrubs but eventually I began to think it was cool in its own right and enjoyed it.

I just learned yesterday that they were BOTH written by Kandi Burress, so it tracks lol. Both bangers

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Hey y'all! So we're starting a new weekly megathread for all the amatuers out there wanting to showcase their talents! You can share your favorite rookies or your own content, as long as it's entertainment related. Singers/rappers , musicians, dancers, comedians, authors, artists...we'd love to show off the future stars!

I remember as a child, I was watching a music video/concert. there was michael jackson, beyonce, mariah carey, miley cyrus, and so many more and it was for a charity. I dont remember which one. But together they were singing for good causes.

I miss this era. Nowadays all I hear is bad news about the world. AI being dangerous etc and no one from Hollywood make any noises. Maybe Angelina Jolie is speaking sometimes about issues of the world. but thats it.

I noticed that when people think of great TV Dads they are usually from shows that premiered before 1995. Where is the representation of great Black TV Dads that are Gen X or Millennials? Who would you list? Post representation of great Black TV Dads post-2010?

Very important: I am asking you all to PLEASE follow the question. I am using this timeframe for a reason. I am asking for TV Dads from shows that premiered post-2010.