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Culture July 25, 2019
“Never be limited by other people’s limited imaginations.”
—Dr. Mae Jemison
Diversity has been a trending topic in the last few years, with hashtags like #OscarsSoWhite going viral. Now, with superheroes like Black Panther and Miles Morales from Into the Spiderverse, all types of Blackness are finally being portrayed on our screens. Although complex Black characters are just now being widely recognized, powerful Black cartoons have been around for decades.
Hey Arnold, Doug, Rugrats, Bebe’s Kids or The Weekenders, all helped shape my childhood. Unfortunately, most of these lacked the diversity I craved. I would sit, waiting for the brief moments in each episode that included the token Black character.
In light of an increased focus on diversity in media, let’s give props to some Black cartoons that scream Black diversity and stayed away from the token Black friend or ghetto Black character trope.
These 11 Black cartoons portrayed real Black characters and told me that I mattered.
Fat Albert first aired in the 70s and lasted well into the mid-1980s. It’s one of the few black cartoons to air in the 1970s. My parents were the ones that told me about Fat Albert. The show even had a reboot in 2004 starring longtime SNL Veteran, Kenan Thompson.
This show was one of the few that showed the world that Black boys are indeed that: Black boys. They are not killers or thieves, they are like every other American child.
Out of all the shows listed, The Proud Family may have been the most instrumental in highlighting all the different types of Blackness within the Black community. I can proudly say, it touches all bases, from our food, to our culture, to our family.
I saw myself in Penny Proud, the girl who came from a two-parent household and had parents who really cared.
My grandma was just like Suga Mama and my cousins were a mixture of Dijonay, LaCienga Boulevardez, and The Gross Sisters. It was a revelation to see a middle-class Black family that reflected the reality of my home life.
Ahhh yes, the very, very controversial show. The Boondocks, like Madea by Tyler Perry, is a love/hate relationship for many. It is controversial because many Black viewers feel the show is demeaning to Black culture.
The Boondocks, though, includes types of Blackness found throughout the Black community. From Huey’s enlightened mind that reminds me of the Black Panther Party, to Riley’s roughness and rawness, to their granddad’s political correctness. The show’s characters all speak to the differences across many Black generations.
Predating the Proud Family is the film Bebe’s Kids. Bebe’s Kids represents the single parent, single mom POV. Did I mention that it’s in a positive light? Revolutionary!
The best part of this movie is that they allude to the mother’s friend who fulfills the archetype of the “ghetto baby mama.” This detail in the movie means that all types of mothers and Black characters are portrayed without judgement. This movie proves that two women with different parenting styles can be friends and that there is no “right” way to be a mother.
The portrayal of Black girls in Doc Mcstuffins opposes the harmful stereotype much of our country holds against Black women. Statistically speaking, Black girls are disproportionately arrested and suspended for behaving the same way as their peers. Data like this invalidates the common stereotypes that many hold against Black girls as being more violent and aggressive than their white peers.
We too have dreams of being a doctor or a dentist. In fact, believe it or not, we are just like every other girl out there with hopes and dreams. These are the harmful norms that Doc Mcstuffins breaks by portraying Black girls as harmless and hopeful young women.
The title Afro Samurai, says enough in its own right. This anime represents the unity between two cultures; Black and Japanese. This combination of two cultures often recieves backlash. In fact, reaction to this show is very similar to the recent reaction to Halle Bailey becoming Princess Ariel. Some might feel like Black people can’t portray characters outside of the Black community.
But guess what?
There are Black-Japenese people. According to CNN, a real Black samurai existed. His name was Yasuke. Check out the article here.
If anything, Black Dynamite is a tribute to classic Black films made in the 1970s era. The style is reminiscent of movies like Shaft or Cleopatra Jones.
Even though they cast stereotypical characters within the show, it also portrays Blacks as our own heroes. This is seen not only in this cartoon but in movies from the era, as well. The Black actors at this time couldn’t find roles that they wanted, so they created their own.
If you ask me, Susie Carmichael should have been featured in all of the episodes of Rugrats. I am so glad they brought her back in the reboot, All Grown Up!
Like Doc Mcstuffins, she portrays Black girls in a positive light. She did not play when it came to bullying. Susie, like Penny Proud, came from a stable home that taught her how to stand up for what is right.
Susie was and is Black Girl Magic before Black Girl Magic existed.
Before Miles Morales, we had Static Shock. He was, for me, the first Black superhero in the streets; a neighborhood superhero.
Not, only was he a superhero, but he was a teenager in high school. He shows Black boys that they can be superheroes, as well.
Little Bill is like The Proud Family in many ways. However, one of the reasons this show stands out is because it’s the first time that a mother in a Black TV show is dark-skinned. Many shows only portray mothers as light-skinned, which feeds into oppressive beauty standards for women of color.
This show also differs from The Proud Family in the sense that this family is more calm and collected. It doesn’t play on the usual casting of Black families as chaotic or dysfunctional, which is why this Black cartoon made it on the list.
Finally, the last Black cartoon that made it on the list is a newcomer: Motown Magic. Motown Magic is about a little Black boy changing the narrative around street art. Instead of being cast as a criminal doing graffiti, he is instead helping his community by transforming it into a better place with his art.
This is a great narrative to show that not all Black boys are gangstas or come from broken homes.
These cartoons bring a positive light to the Black community. They break the negative narratives and are an effective way to break racism and stereotypes down.
These cartoons shape the minds of the young kids and teens, both within and outside of the Black community. Not only that, but all these shows are diverse and inclusive of other cultures as well. Here’s to many more Black cartoons in the future!
And as a bonus, check out this list of 11 Comic Book Heroes of Color You Should Know About. These 11 comic heroes also highlight Black greatness within the cartoon/comic realm.
