pop culture

Minority Representation in Black-ish

Amyrreah Eaton

Course Name

Instructor Name

May 20, 2026

Minority Representation in Black-ish

Television has a huge impact on how people view different cultures and communities. For years,

many sitcoms either ignored minority groups completely or portrayed them in a stereotypical

way. Some characters were only included to be “the funny one” or to fit certain assumptions

society already had. However, newer shows have started creating more realistic portrayals of

minority families and their everyday experiences. One show that does this well is Black-ish. The

show follows an upper-middle-class African American family and balances humor with real

conversations about race, identity, and culture. One character that stands out the most is Andre

Johnson, also known as Dre. While the show is meant to be funny, Dre’s character often reflects

real concerns and experiences many African Americans face in society today.

Dre is shown as a successful Black man who cares deeply about his family and his culture.

Throughout the show, he constantly worries that his children are growing up disconnected from

their roots because they live a more privileged lifestyle than he did growing up. A lot of the

humor comes from Dre trying too hard to make sure his kids understand Black culture and

history. Even though some of his reactions are exaggerated for comedy, the message behind

them feels real. Many parents want their children to stay connected to where they come from,

especially when they grow up in environments where they may feel pressure to fit in with

everyone else.

One episode that really stood out to me was “Hope.” In this episode, the family discusses police

brutality after hearing about a police shooting on the news. Dre struggles with deciding how

much he should explain to his children while also wanting to protect them emotionally. The

episode was emotional, but it still included moments of humor that felt natural instead of forced.

What made this episode important was how realistic it felt. These are conversations many Black

families have had in real life. The show did not avoid the topic just because it is uncomfortable.

Instead, it used comedy carefully while still taking the issue seriously.

Another episode I watched was “The Nod.” This episode focused on a small but meaningful part

of Black culture where Black people acknowledge each other with a nod in public. Dre becomes

upset when another Black man does not return the nod, which turns into a funny situation

throughout the episode. At first, it seems like a silly topic, but it actually reflects deeper ideas

about connection, belonging, and shared experiences within the Black community. I liked that

the show was able to take something simple and make it both funny and meaningful at the same

time.

I think Black-ish does a good job balancing accurate representation with comedy. Of course,

there are moments where stereotypes are exaggerated for entertainment. Dre can be dramatic at

times, and the family’s lifestyle may not represent every African American family. However, I

do not think the show uses those stereotypes in a harmful way. Instead, it often challenges

stereotypes by showing African American characters as educated, successful, loving, and

emotionally complex. The family faces normal problems just like anyone else while also dealing

with issues connected to race and identity.

The characters’ minority status is definitely part of the humor in the show, but I think there is a

difference between laughing at a culture and laughing with it. Most of the jokes in Black-ish are

connected to real cultural experiences, misunderstandings, generational differences, or social

situations. The humor helps make serious topics easier to discuss without taking away from their

importance. In my opinion, that is one reason why the show became so popular. It entertains

people while also encouraging them to think about issues they may not normally talk about.

Watching Black-ish also made me realize how important representation is in television. Growing

up, a lot of shows either lacked diversity or only showed minorities in negative ways. This show

feels different because the characters are shown as complete people instead of stereotypes. They

are successful, flawed, funny, emotional, and relatable. Even though the family is wealthy, the

show still highlights challenges many African Americans experience in schools, workplaces, and

society overall.

From a counseling perspective, I also think the show highlights how culture and lived

experiences affect families and mental health. Dre’s fears about race, identity, and belonging

clearly affect the way he parents his children and communicates with his family. The show

demonstrates how important it is to understand someone’s background and experiences before

making assumptions about them. As future counselors or helping professionals, it is important to

recognize how cultural identity can shape a person’s emotions, relationships, and worldview.

Another thing I noticed while watching Black-ish was how often the characters had to balance

being themselves while also fitting into professional or social environments that were mostly

White. Dre especially struggled with code-switching, which is when someone changes the way

they speak or act depending on who they are around. The show used humor to talk about this, but

it also highlighted a real pressure many minorities experience every day. In several episodes, Dre

wanted his children to succeed in life while also staying proud of who they are culturally. I think

this added depth to the show because it showed that cultural identity is not always simple.

Sometimes people feel pressure to act differently in order to be accepted, and that can affect

confidence, relationships, and mental health. This is something counselors and helping

professionals should understand because cultural stress and identity struggles can have a major

impact on individuals and families.

Overall, Black-ish provides a strong representation of African American culture while still being

entertaining and funny. Andre Johnson is portrayed as more than just a stereotype, which allows

viewers to connect with him on a deeper level. Although some situations are exaggerated for

humor, the show still addresses important social issues in an honest and relatable way. I think

Black-ish is a great example of how sitcoms can use comedy not only to entertain people, but

also to educate and start meaningful conversations.

References

Barris, K. (Creator). (2014–2022). Black-ish [TV series]. ABC.

Smith, J. A. (2020). Humor, race, and identity in American sitcom television. Cultural

Communication Review, 8(2), 91–104.

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Pop Culture Paper Assignment

 Watch at least 2 episodes of any television situation comedy. After watching the programs, identify any minority characters, and describe how any one of these minority characters was portrayed. Detail if the portrayal was accurate or stereotypical and whether the character’s minority status alone was used as a source of humor.

 The paper should be no more than 4 pages long with additional cover and reference pages.

 The paper must be submitted in Microsoft Word; Times New Roman font; 12 pt. font size; margins 1” on all sides; double-spaced. The assignment should be written on a graduate level and references used should be cited within the discussion and documented in a reference list using APA styling.

 Post your paper, as a single document, to the grade book.

 Send your instructor an email when you are ready for your assignment to be graded.

CACREP Standards Addressed: 2F.2.a and 2F.2.d

Scoring Guidelines

Points available: 100.

Components Unacceptable (0 points)

Revisions Required (5 points)

Target (10 points)

Introduction Establishes historical

background and defensible

thesis that supports a logical

line of reasoning (CACREP

2F.2.a, 2F.2.d)

Underdeveloped introduction; reason for

culture selection is unclear or missing;

historical background is inaccurate or missing

Coherent introduction that includes a reason for culture selection;

historical background is accurate but limited

Engaging, well developed introduction that includes a detailed

reason for culture selection; historical

background is accurate and thorough

Focus & Purpose Developed thesis and

attentive focus on topic

(CACREP 2F.2.a, 2F.2.d)

Missing thesis; confusion about or

misunderstanding of topic; no sense of

purpose

Simplistic and unfocused ideas; limited sense of

purpose

Developed thesis; represents sound

understanding of the assigned topic; focused

Ideas, Support & Development

Supports ideas and reflections using specific and relevant examples of

No or limited evidence/experiences

are provided to support ideas and reflections;

evidence is incomplete, incorrect, oversimplified,

Provides necessary evidence/experiences to

support ideas and reflections; the

importance/relevance of all pieces of

Relies on compelling and detailed

evidence/experiences to support ideas and

reflections; the importance/relevance of

Page 2 of 4

Components Unacceptable (0 points)

Revisions Required (5 points)

Target (10 points)

evidence/experiences

(CACREP 2F.2.a, 2F.2.d) or disconnected from the

context evidence/experiences is

unclear or under developed but does

support the ideas and reflections presented and is placed properly

within the context

all pieces of evidence/experiences is clearly stated; considers alternate interpretations of evidence/experiences

to enhance demonstration of cultural

intelligence

Conclusion Establishes clear conclusion

based upon

evidence/experiences

(CACREP 2F.2.a, 2F.2.d)

Missing or no connection of evidence and analysis to the reflections; fails to summarize the argument

coherently

Limited connection between evidence and analysis to reflections;

summarizes some ideas and thoughts but repeats

ideas to support reflections

Engaging, strongly connects evidence and analysis to reflections; summarizes the main

topics without repeating previous ideas

Structure & Organization

Text has unity and coherence to accomplish the

focused purpose

No paragraph structure; or single, rambling

paragraph; or series of isolated paragraphs

Organization is confusing or disjointed;

weak paragraph structure; transitions are missing or inappropriate

Clear organizational structure; easily followed;

includes transitions; structured format

Audience & Tone

Audience appropriate and consistent tone

No awareness of

appropriate audience for assignment; tone is

inappropriate

Lacks awareness of

appropriate audience for the assignment; tone is

inconsistent

Effective and accurate

awareness of audience; tone is appropriate for

audience and assignment

Sentence Structure Demonstrates varied

sentence structures to enhance meaning

Contains multiple and serious errors of

sentence structure: i.e. fragments, run-ons;

unable to write simple sentences

Formulaic sentence patterns or overuse of

simple sentences; errors in sentence structure

Effective and varied sentences; errors (if

present) due to lack of careful proofreading

Mechanics The text has few

grammatical, spelling and punctuation errors.

Frequent errors in agreement, verb tense,

spelling, and capitalization; intrusive

and/or inaccurate punctuation;

Contains several errors in agreement, verb

tense, spelling, capitalization, and

punctuation (up to 6);

Virtually free of errors in agreement, verb tense, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation (no

more than 3); errors do

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Components Unacceptable (0 points)

Revisions Required (5 points)

Target (10 points)

communication is hindered

errors interfere with meaning

not interfere with meaning

Vocabulary & Word Usage

Uses extended and appropriate vocabulary

Vocabulary is unsophisticated; or

subject specific vocabulary or

sophisticated vocabulary used incorrectly.

Proper, but simple vocabulary used; subject specific vocabulary used

infrequently

Vocabulary is varied, specific and appropriate;

uses subject specific vocabulary correctly

APA Format/Citations Correctly uses APA style and

formatting

Reference page includes frequent errors (more

than 3); no attempt was made to cited

supporting sources in- text; contains multiple errors in APA format

Reference page in accurate and virtually

free of errors (no more than 3); all supporting

sources are cited in-text, but minor errors in APA

format are present

Reference page in accurate and free of errors; all supporting sources are properly

cited in-text; APA format is correct and accurate

APA Format Guides

The instructor has provided links to resources that provide assistance on APA format issues. Be sure to review these links and do not hesitate to ask for assistance if you are not sure about something. Ask yourself the questions below before you submit a paper. This list by no means addresses every possible mistake that could be made, but it will bring common mistakes to your attention.

 Is your paper double spaced?  Are necessary abbreviations explained?

 Are references cited in-text present on your reference list? Remember that the website itself is a source.

 Did you include in-text citations for all the resources you used? Only references used to support your writing should be on your reference list.

 Numbers ten and below should be spelled out.

 Are quotes referenced correctly in-text? Quotes should be used sparingly. There should be no more than one quote in a three-page paper.

 Are your sources presented properly on your reference list? Pay close attention to indention rules and capitalization rules.

 Is your title page presented according to APA format?

 Is there a page break inserted for the reference page?

 Did you include an appropriate running heading for your paper?

Page 4 of 4

 Did you proof your paper and have another person proof your paper before submitting the paper?

Writing assignments are taken quite seriously. Graduate students are expected to write clearly and concisely, and the order of your thoughts should

be logical. Know that each paper is read with these things in mind. If your writing is wordy or if you use awkward phrasing it will impact the format, style

and grammar portion of your grade.