TV SHOWS
recommended VIEWING
Pose (Netflix) — Set in the 1980s, Pose is a dance musical that explores the juxtaposition of several segments of life and society in New York: the ball culture world, the rise of the luxury Trump-era universe, and the downtown social and literary scene — revolving around a self-selected family that provides support to LGBTQ youth who have been rejected by their birth families.
When They See Us (Netflix) In 1989 a jogger was assaulted in New York's Central Park, and five young people were subsequently charged with the crime. The quintet, labeled the Central Park Five, maintained its innocence and spent years fighting the convictions, hoping to be exonerated. This limited series spans a quarter of a century, from when the teens are first questioned about the incident in the spring of 1989, going through their exoneration in 2002 and ultimately the settlement reached with the city of New York in 2014.
Random Acts of Flyness — Structured like a fantastical variety show centered on the varied experiences of people of African descent living in the US, Random Acts of Flyness deconstructs traditional ideas of the socio-political hypernym known as Blackness and is ultimately a subversive celebration of the variety within.
Insecure — Created by and starring Issa Rae, Insecure tells the story of Issa Dee, a young black woman living and working in Los Angeles. Over four seasons, the show details the highs and lows of Issa's friendships, romantic life, and professional aspirations—always with a healthy does of humor. Consider this a must-watch for comedy fans.
Watchmen — In “Watchmen’s” alternate history setting, unlike real life, reparations have indeed been paid to the victims of slavery and their descendants, and resentment about this lingers among a white supremacist group known as the Seventh Kalvary. Watchmen is a cutting-edge treatise on our present-day upheaval, remixing the DC Comics graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons.
Cherish the Day — there are so few TV series that realistically depict two Black adults simply falling in love. It’s not some fanciful fairytale, but rather a true-to-life, intuitive and sympathetic observation of a relationship as it evolves over several years, with characters that are fully realized, complex creatures in universally relatable situations.
Atlanta — Earn Marks is a broke college dropout who has no home and is staying with Vanessa, his on-again, off-again girlfriend and mother of his child. After realizing that his cousin Alfred is a rapper on the verge of stardom, Earn becomes his manager. Together with Darrius, Alfred's right-hand man and visionary, the three of them try to make it in the Atlanta rap scene.
The Wire — a critically-acclaimed crime drama series that tells the story of the narcotics scene in Baltimore through the eyes of law enforcers as well as the drug dealers and users, government, schools, and media. There are no villains or heroes, but instead the fictional show gives a realistic depiction of the struggles of everyday people just trying to get by in Baltimore, Maryland.
Dear White People — Part comedy and part drama, Dear White People follows the lives of a group of black students attending an Ivy League college. Though the series focuses on a student named Samantha White, it occasionally pivots to tell the story from the perspective of her peers, displaying how multifaceted the black experience really is. The show touches on topics like interracial relationships, police brutality, microagressions, and the emotions related to being a student of color on a predominantly white campus.
SUPPLEMENTARY VIEWING
Snowfall — A compelling drama set in 1983 Los Angeles, where the crack cocaine epidemic is about to hit and Franklin Saint is a drug dealer striving to rise through the ranks.
Black-ish — follows an upperclass black family as they comedically deal with issues of discrimination, assimilation, and identity. Two episodes you may want to take note of are "Juneteenth," which focuses on the efforts of Dre to bring awareness to the black holiday, and "Hope," which hones in on the parents' conversation with their children about police brutality against black people.
The Innocence Files (Netflix) — The untold personal stories behind eight cases of wrongful conviction that the Innocence Project and organizations within the Innocence Network have uncovered and worked to overturn.
Time: The Kalief Browder Story — A Netflix series that documents how the criminal justice system tragically failed 16-year-old Kalief Browder, who spent three years in Rikers Island jail awaiting trial — two of those years in solitary confinement — after being arrested for allegedly stealing a backpack.
America to Me — A 10-episode limited series that tells the story of one year at Chicago's Oak Park and River Forest High School and lays bare the overwhelming issues that people of color face in the American school system.
The Innocence Files (Netflix) — The untold personal stories behind eight cases of wrongful conviction that the Innocence Project and organizations within the Innocence Network have uncovered and worked to overturn.
Who Killed Malcolm X? — a six-part documentary series that investigates the disturbing mysteries surrounding the assassination of one of the most dynamic American leaders of all time.
Hollywood — follows a group of aspiring actors and filmmakers in post-World War II Hollywood as they try to make it in Tinseltown. Each character offers a unique glimpse behind the gilded curtain of Hollywood's Golden Age, spotlighting the unfair systems and biases across race, gender and sexuality that persist to this day.
Self-Made: The Enduring Legacy of Madam C.J. Walker — a Netflix miniseries that tells story of Madam C.J. Walker, the trailblazing African American haircare entrepreneur and cultural icon who was America's first female self-made millionaire.
Little Fires Everywhere — Based on Celeste Ng's 2017 bestseller, Little Fires Everywhere follows the intertwined fates of the picture-perfect Richardson family and an enigmatic mother and daughter who upend their lives. The story explores the weight of secrets, the nature of art and identity, the ferocious pull of motherhood -- and the danger in believing that following the rules can avert disaster.
