state legislatures across the u.s. from new jersey to minnesota to texas also have bills under consideration. thanks for watching. i'll see you next sunday. trumen) - do you feel that there is not enough representation? because after the last incident, i had children bussed in. - when i think about the history of black television, i think about when black folks watch, we watch to zero in on us. - instead of making us celebrate your holidays, why don't you celebrate some of ours? what about tupac's birthday? - and when you have so little, it means everything. all of those shows, they all matter so much. - it feels like there's been more of an ebb and flow and an evolution. - it is so important for us to have true authenticity. - why we always the only black people here? - that's why representation matters, black stories told by black people. - i'm trying to tell you something. - [man] we set the pace for sit comedy. - you hear that, elizabeth? i'm coming to join ya, honey? - from "sanford and son" to the other black shows. - what is this? - loved "the jeffersons. - monogrammed shirt, brand new silk tie. - is that a tie? i thought your tongue was hanging out. - "good times" is one of my favorite sitcoms because you could not tell me that these people were not real. - dy-no-mite! - uncle phil! - "fresh prince of bel-air" was groundbreaking for me. it was a different depiction of black life. - argh! - "martin" made me laugh so much. - jerome in the house! - clear! - "black-ish", "insecure". - hey! - so many shows that are on now that are killing it in ratings. - we're living in a golden age of black television, especially when it comes to sitcoms. - we're finally starting to see ourselves represented in the world. (car whooshes past) (water sprays) - hell no! (upbeat music) (upbeat music) - as times change, we're beginning to see this evolution of black television. - this is rochester van jones. he's my butler. - we finally get to see a realistic depiction of ourselves. - issa, what's on fleek? - and the only way that that could be done was by changing the people who were telling the stories. - i don't know what that means. i know what that shit means. - by putting more seats at the table for black storytellers, writers, creators directors. - and that's a big difference in what we saw before. - [announcer] "the adventures of ozzie and harriet," starring the entire nelson family. - [announcer] "father knows best." (soaring instrumental music) - the tv landscape in the 1950s was considered the golden age television. you would have these great shows like "i love lucy," classic television shows, but you didn't have black representation until you started seeing shows like "beulah." - cereal, miss alice? - [ernie] "amos 'n andy" was the first all-black sitcom. - mornin', andy. - mornin, amos. - [ernie] but it was boycotted by the naacp, and after only two seasons in 1953, the show was canceled. - my problem with "amos 'n andy" is that there were no black writers in the room, obviously. that often can lead to stereotypes. - these shows mocking black voices, sort of making real caricatures of black life. - i learn a lot of things. i just don't retain 'em. - so you had these examples of black representation that were not always positive and did not always center black life and culture in a way in which we wanted to see ourselves. - and these were very much shows that were made to allay white fears and to protect white comfort. you're talking about the jim crow era. - and i've seen the promised land. - as the civil rights movement was kicking up, the naacp wanted to show black people in a different light. black people were going to college and making money and entering the middle class. took until 1968 for us to have a show that was served as a counterweight to shows like "beulah and "amos 'n andy." - when i think about the history of black television, i think of diahann carroll. she personifies the brilliance that has existed in black hollywood. - "julia" premiered in 1968. the country was in the midst of incredible unrest. this is right around the time that martin luther king, jr. was assassinated. - diahann carroll herself, she didn't feel that it portrayed the black experience in a way that it should've been portrayed. - julia and corey baker, this is my sister, wanda waggedorn. - how do you do? - you're a negro! didn't tell me that! - that's all right, wanda. leonard didn't tell us you aren't. - she really felt that they were presenting an image of the white negro. - but at the time, i didn't care because there's a black woman on tv. she's a nurse. she's helping people. - diahann carroll was the first black woman to be nominated for an emmy for her performance in that show. - it represented the first time that a black family went into the homes of americans on a weekly basis. it did establish that premise, and i was very pleased about that. (upbeat funky music) - the success of the television show "julia" opened the door for redd foxx, who was this underground comedy legend. - that's the money i was saving for my heart operation! you hear that elizabeth? i'm coming to join ya, honey! - love "sanford and son." you give me the first line of a "sanford and son" line, i can finish it for you. - for every man, there's a woman. - and for every dummy, there's a dummy. - one of the creators of "sanford and son" saw redd foxx in his act and thought that he would be perfect for the series they were gonna do, which was an adaptation of a british series, "steptoe & son." - "sanford and son" was a more authentic show because of writers like paul mooney and ilunga adell. - redd and i said, "you know what? we need to have some black writers." - what you doing combing your hair? - why does anybody come their hair? to look neat. - but you just going to a job. - pop, just because i work in junk don't mean i have to look like it. - when we had white writers, they would write, "i'm gwan," g-w-a-n. we gwan hit it over der," and redd said, "hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. you don't need to do that. write words, and we, the characters, will say those words the way black people say those words. - who you calling ugly, sucka? (audience laughs) (upbeat music) - we shot the pilot in september of '71, and it just went through the ceiling. we didn't just usher in black shows. we were the foundation for all the sitcoms for the next 25, 30 years. - it just led the way to other sitcoms like "good times." ♪ good times ♪ anytime you need - breakfast is ready if you hungry! - "good times" is one of my favorite sitcoms because i didn't realize i was watching a sitcom. - give me one good reason why you married me. - you was pregnant. - that ain't nothing to joke about. suppose one of the kids that heard you said they was born outta wedlock. - wouldn't bother me none. (audience laughs) i ain't the oldest. (audience laughs) - they were a two-parent black family. you never had black men who were integral to these households. "good times" had that. - "good times" made history because it was the first time we had black creators. - all right, come on over here, lionel. - michael evans, who was a guy from "all in the family," he had access to norman lear, and norman lear told him to write something, and he wrote something with eric monte. - just to get that chance to prove yes, we deserve to be here. i think eric monte and mike evans proved that. - dy-no-mite! (upbeat funky music) (audience laughs) dy-no-mite. i know might i did a little tiny dynamite just in rehearsal. john rich, our director, says, "i love that dy-no-mite thing. here's how you do it. dy-no-mite!" i said, "john, please, people will never go for this." - then jimmy walker's character takes over, and instead of "good times," you end up with the dy-no-mite hour. - "good times" was a microcosm of what it is to produce black television. - eric monte and mike evans were forced to partner with a white show runner. that reflected a dynamic that we see throughout the history of black tv, which is having black creatives needing the co-sign of a white person in order to make their thing, even though it's based in the stories they know. - by season two of "good times," john amos was complaining about how his character was not being written in a very authentic way. - so they said, "tell you what. why don't we kill him off, and we'll all get on with our lives." - killed in an auto... - my god! - so that taught me a lesson that i wasn't as important as i thought i was to the show or to norman lear's plans. (glass shatters) - damn, damn, damn! - as good as "good times" was, it still did not resonate with everyone as to how this was a characterization of black america. you had organizations like the black panthers pressuring norman lear who had helped create "good times" to give us something different, and with that, he came up with "the jeffersons." - i wear the pants in this family. - and when you zip them up, include your mouth. (audience laughs and applauds) in the middle of everything, there's everything to do. come on kids! listen to the lion's roar! roar!! skip around at lincoln park zoo. floating down rivers! trying not to tip! enjoying illinois, every bite and every sip. see the moon and the stars at the planetarium. who knew illinois could be this fun? i did! ♪in the middle of everything♪ ♪there's everything to do!♪ (vo) this is sadie, she's on verizon. the network she can count on. and now she has myplan, the game-changing new plan that lets her get exactly what she wants and save on every perk. sadie is moving to the big city and making moves on her plan, too. apple one, on. now she's got plenty of entertainment for the whole ride. finally there! hot spot, on. and she's fully connected before her internet is even installed. (sadie) hi, mom! (mom) how's the apartment? (vo) introducing myplan. get exactly what you want, only pay for what you need. act now and get it for $25 when you bring your phones. it's your verizon. ♪ jitterbug! ♪ [ giggles loudly ] ♪ jitterbug! ♪ [ giggles loudly ] ♪ jitterbug! ♪ [ giggles loudly ] ♪ jitterbug! ♪ [ gigglelo [ tapping ] ♪ you put the boom-boom into my heart ♪ intuitive sit-to-start in the all-electric id.4. it's the little things, it's a vw. put a smile on your plate with new pancake tacos. because when you fold a pancake in half, you get a taco. or in this case, three for six dollars. ♪ try all four flavors. here for a fun time, not a long time. only from ihop. ♪ ♪ ♪ comfort. deluxified. kraft mac & cheese deluxe (upbeat music) ♪ well, we're movin' on up ♪ movin' on up ♪ to the east side ♪ movin' on up - "the jeffersons" was an aspirational show. you have the great theme song sung by ja'net dubois about moving on up. you had a different situation from "good times," where it's a poor black family, to a rich black family living in a high-rise apartment. - your family started at zero, and look what you've got now, a lovely wife, successful business, and a beautiful apartment. - that's right, buddy. - i don't need you to tell me that! (audience laughs) (mid-tempo r&b music) - the character of george jefferson was a rich black man who was unapologetic about that, and that was very, very groundbreaking in 1970s. - george jefferson with the walk out the bank move, the hit the cliff. that's how i walk out the bank when i make withdrawals. - how about this? (upbeat funky music) (audience laughs) - isabel sanford was really a trailblazer. - weezie, honey. - don't you weezie honey me. - in 1981, isabel sanford, who plays louise, became the first and still only black woman to win the emmy for lead actress in a comedy series. - at last. (audience laughs and applauds) - marla gibbs is everything to me. she was a breakout star. - you live in this apartment, right? - uh huh. - and you got an apartment in this building, too? - yes, that's right. - well, how come we overcame and nobody told me? (audience laughs) - the fights i had with george on the show was mostly prewritten. however, he and i would come up with things sometimes and they would keep it. - florence, your cooking tastes like dog food. (audience laughs) - that's 'cause i'm cooking for a chihuahua. (audience laughs) (upbeat music) he and i really had a chemistry together. - one of the unique things about "the jeffersons" is that it featured the first primetime interracial couple, the willises. - george, if we have a problem, why can't we just talk it through like tom and helen? they don't fight. - they don't fight 'cause they scared to fight. - what's that supposed to mean? - you know damn well what it means. if you two ever really started going at one another, inside of five minutes, he'd be calling you - don't say it! - nigga. - he said it! - coming out of the 1960s loving case, which made interracial marriages legal in the united states, you had this representation of what america could look like, of what america could be. (audience laughs and applauds) - i beg your pardon. i'll come back later. - "the jeffersons" was really groundbreaking. - everything you do, do it cool. that's it. - [marla] "the jeffersons" had something for every segment of society. - yeah. - government is not the solution to our problem. government is the problem. - america was changing. you're in the middle of reaganomics and trickle down economies. - the social policies of that era were really splintering black families and the black community in this country. - in the early 1980s, the landscape of primetime television was dominated by these hour-long dramas. some of them were very gritty. - one of the things people were all saying was the comedy on television was dead. ("the bill cosby show theme song) - but then there's this juggernaut of a show in the form of a black family comedy, and it completely reinvigorates the sitcom genre. - i am your father. i brought you in this world and i'll take you out. (audience laughs) (soft upbeat music) - "the cosby show" absolutely created a phenomenon of must-see tv. - "the cosby show" is consider the pinnacle black sitcom. gives you a black family that's not just incredibly tight knit. - listen. let's put on some music 'round here. - it was also a family that was doing very well for themselves, that was upper middle class where family values in the most traditional of senses was a core of the series. - mr. cosby brought in dr. alvin poussaint to be a consultant on the show. so when we would write out a storyline, we'd send that off to dr. poussaint, and that would come back with all his notes on it, and alvin poussaint was the guy that grounded us to make sure that we were always representing this black family in the best light. - in the 1980s, "the cosby show" gave a vision of blackness that was comfortable. - we're here to say goodbye to lamont goldfish. - the way that it conveyed blackness specifically was often quite subtle. it was in the art that was on the walls. it was in the music that was being played. it was in the sweatshirts that they wore referencing a historically black college. - "cosby" doesn't come on on nbc when they're at their height. he comes on when they're in the dumps. - fight, fight! (upbeat music) (audience laughs) - and next thing you know, the number one show on television is an african american comedy. (laughs) (audience laughs) (muffled shouting) bill cosby was, to all of us, america's dad. "the cosby show" was, at its height, doing astronomically high numbers. (wesminster chime) it was that "mash" finale territory of just the biggest numbers you've ever seen on paper. (soft jazzy music) (audience applauds) - now, as far as who he is outside of the work, it's not to be ignored. - he's been controversial, absolutely. - [patrick] in 2018, bill cosby was convicted for drugging and violating a woman in 2004. - [female reporter] some 50 women have alleged similar sexual assaults. - the conviction was overturned and cosby was released, which, to him, was a vindication because he always had maintained his innocence. - so how do we celebrate bill cosby's legacy? - it has been hard. it's been difficult to reconcile the man versus the myth, the legend, the comedian, the star. - i think we have to look at bill cosby. i don't think we should look away. i think we should look at all of it, the good, the bad, the ugly. i think it's important. (mid-tempo r&b music) (muffled shouting) - "the cosby show" laid the groundwork for a lot of the sitcoms that we saw, and the most obvious is "a different world," which was a spinoff of the series, and it followed denise huxtable when she went off to hillman college. - oh, you must be our new roommate. - the first year was different. you had a white character named maggie, and you had a show about a college that, while it was a historically black college, it was not necessarily black. ♪ i know my parents love me - in the second season of "a different world," it became a whole different television show. ♪ i know my parents loved me - [ernie] brought in debbie allen. - they called me to come in and make it relevant, and when i got there, i had gone to howard university, so i didn't have to go on a field trip to see what a historically black college was. i had lived it. - debbie allen is a trailblazer. she really brought the authentic hbcu experience to television while managing to tackle serious issues like racism and sexism and colorism but also giving us fun, lighthearted comedy in a way that inspired me to go to an hbcu. - they explored the fraternities, the sororities. (characters cheer) (upbeat funky music) it was an exact parallel to what my experience was at howard. - a memorable episode was the la riots. whitley just got married to dwayne. they were going to take their honeymoon in la, and the riots happened. (upbeat music) (objects clatter) - hey, hey, hey! - i remember being called in by the network. they were upset because we had white looters. and so what did we do? talked roseanne and tom arnold into playing the white looters, and we reshot it. - my feet are killing me! - i told you to steal some shoes. - they were happy then. - you all know that winning is not everything. - that's right! - but it so feel good! (characters cheer) (mid-tempo r&b music) - the real legacy of "a different world" is that we tripled the enrollment of historically black colleges. that show still stands the test of time. 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(glass shatters) - did i do that? (audience laughs) - i just feel like i was so lucky to grow up in a time with urkel. - a peck near the lip area would speed me on my way. (audience laughs) - so would a left hook. (audience laughs) - ooh, i love it when she gets physical. - winslows are a loving african american family that live in the chicago area. father, carl winslow, was a cop. - "family matters" was my very first job. i was one of three black writers in a big room of maybe 10, 12 writers. - in 1994, "family matters" had an episode called "good cop, bad cop." eddie winslow, the teenage son, comes back from a really upsetting encounter with a police officer. - i was driving along minded my own business when the cops pulled me over! - i remember the scene, and it was very difficult to do. - then he made me get outta the car and lie face down! then he cuffed me! - that's unusual procedure unless you provoked it. - the idea that the black father would tell his black son, "you must've provoked the cop if you were treated badly," just did not sit well with me. i had to say, "i don't think that black father would say that to his black son." - i thought what i went through tonight with the worst thing that's ever happened to me, but i was wrong. not having my own father believe me is even worse. - i remember the showrunner getting very angry, wondering if i was saying he was racist, and i remember realizing at that moment, as black people, our desire to depict authentic versions of ourselves is always negotiated because if i'm not here, then this whole room is white, and then characters who look like me will have no one who looks like them to speak their truth. (upbeat funky music) ♪ back to life - there's yet another big shake up in the tv landscape when hip hop meets rodeo drive. - [male reporter] it is called rap music. - they keep saying it's a fad. - rap music is not a fad. - in fact, rap is one of the largest grossing forms of music on the charts. - quincy jones recognized that hip hop was gonna change america ♪ parents just don't understand ♪ and that will smith was gonna be part of that. - hey, uncle phil! oh! (audience laughs) ♪ this is a story all about how ♪ ♪ my life got flipped turned upside down ♪ - will smith was a rapper. - yeah, yeah, yeah. - he had albums. and then even the starting of the show was amazing. it had a storyline you can follow as the credits were going. ♪ of a town called bel-air - will happened to be in la. he was at a party at quincy jones's house. will never really acted before in his life. - the only kind of audition i had was quincy's birthday. he said, "so here's the deal. everybody that needs to say yes for this show is sitting out in that living room right now, waiting for you." "and i thought, gimme 10 minutes." and he's like, "all right, y'all, audition in 10 minutes! audition in 10 minutes!" oh yo, the plane ride was stupid! i was up in first class. - excuse me? - no, i'm saying the plane was dope. - i was sitting in the front- - excuse me? how would he? the flight was really neat, yeah. (audience laughs) (soft upbeat music) - the episode that really stands out to me is where will's father who had abandoned him as a young man comes back into his life, and at the end of the episode, he's abandoning him yet again. - it was great seeing you, son. - you, too, lou. - in the african american community, a lot of families are torn apart because of the male. - ain't a damn thing he could ever teach me about how to love my kids! (soft poignant music) (will breathes shakily) - it came time for that moment. he broke. it was a beautiful thing, and the rest is history. - it showed that there are other people in one's life who can become that father figure when it comes to male role models in the black community. ♪ hip hop music ♪ you like it 'cause you dos it ♪ - "fresh prince of bel-air" became one of these landmark black sitcoms that you're gonna look at 100 years from now saying, "this is one of the ones that changed things," - pssh. - and still is relevant today. (jazzy screams) (audience laughs) - in the 90s, there was one show that epitomized what it was to be young, funny, and black, and that show was "martin." - martin lawrence is a standup comedian, and the "martin" show was based on all of the things that he would talk about onstage. - wassup? hell no! you wants to stomp with the big dog! - people really seem to gravitate to him. - jerome's in the house! - 'cause it was raw. ♪ i said jerome's in the hou-eh-ou-eh-ouse ♪ - he played at least 10 different characters within the sitcom, and you believed them all. - how you all doing? (audience laughs) party's my middle name! go, gina, go, gina! what's happening, baby? - martin lawrence was the one who said comedy has a way of bringing light into this dark world. black people, we do have this way of laughing at our struggle. he embodies that. (glass shatters) (mama payne whimpers) - damn, damn, damn! - "damn, gina" is said to me 100 times a day. - [unison] aw, damn! - i loved martin and gina's romance, particularly because it was the first time i saw a young black couple in love on television. - grab my ears? (audience laughs) (upbeat funky music) - we didn't think that we were gonna make the impact that we made. - girl, your hair is so nappy, wilson couldn't pick it. - recently, me, tichina, and martin had gone to lunch, and we were all like, "can you believe this? it's like 'brady bunch.' people are still watching this show," and we're in shock. and i was like, "martin, can you believe they call us icons?" and he was like, "i know!" ♪ we're living ♪ ooh ♪ single ♪ hey - "living single" is about six upwardly mobile 20 somethings who figure out life, and we figure it out together. - we had never seen a show with such unapologetically black, smart, sexy, fun women on television before. - damn, he fine! (audience laughs) - oh, and good technique. - and big feet. (audience laughs) - they were "friends" before there was the sitcom "friends." - "living single" came first. there was an interview with warren littlefield who, at the time, was running nbc. they asked him, "was there any show that you wish you had bought this year?" and he said, "i wish i had bought 'living single.'" - "living single" was the archetype. you get a group of quirky women living across from quirky men, two dudes. (upbeat jazzy music) - [male reporter] later today on "oprah," lonely women who waste their lives watching television. - there was a big twitter beef a little while ago when the gentleman who played ross said, "they should do like a black 'friends' sometime," and, honey, black twitter went in because he was just blissfully unaware it had already been done. - now david schwimmer said that his comment was taken out of context. he said, "i am aware that there was a show called 'living single' on the air before us." - even though we were a black show, we were a show that is absolutely relatable, and yes, i still get those residual checks. thank you. you're welcome. 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(upbeat music) (bernie whistles) - give me a chance. (men laugh) i'll take wb. i'll take upn. i'll take usa. - by the early 2000s, networks are only looking for big name black comedians to headline their shows. - when you talk about "the bernie mac show," you get a slice of life, of african american life. - yeah, my sister's on drugs. what am i supposed to do? allow these three kids to go to some foster home? - you don't know what you're getting yourself into. - i didn't wanna come into america's living room. i wanted to bring america into mine. this is my house. - bernie had a very clear idea of the kind of show he wanted. bernie mac goes, "you know, reggie? of all the people in hollywood, you get bernie mac." - ma'am, don't do that. this is my car. i'm trying to tell you something. - my goal working on the show as a director, as a producer was to make sure bernie mac stayed bernie mac. (horn blows) (upbeat funky music) - i don't mean to toot my own horn, america, but bernie mac's genius. - i'm overwhelmed, as you see. - the first time in the more than 200-year history of this country, an african american will be the chief executive. how far we have come. - america has changed to the point now where "black-ish" is telling these unapologetically black stories. they have that freedom because we have changed as a culture. - [andre] sometimes i feel like a bit of an oddity. - and if you look to your left, you'll see the mythical and majestic black family. - it talks about the so called post-racial version (laughs) of being black. - the whole show begins, saying, "we moved to a white neighborhood, but we still got to hold on to our culture." - this is our culture. - this ain't our culture. we black, not african. africans don't even like us. - dad, can i go? - there was a lot of conversation about what to call it. "black-ish" was the preferred title, and the creator kenya really supported and felt like sets off a little bit of a firestorm, and you get people talking about it. you've got a man who's got his family at a crossroads. "i care about black history and culture and our roots. i don't want them to not be black. i don't want them to only be black-ish." - from now on, we will be black out loud. - "black-ish" had a episode called "juneteenth" that i'm so proud to have been a part of. - our whole family will celebrate juneteenth. - all right. - boom! i know where to buy strawberry soda. - and i make a mean red velvet cake. - i'll fire up the grill. that loud and black enough for you? - yeah, mm-hmm. - i'll hang up my stocking. - oh, buddy. - and now it's on the national calendar forever, something that's still mind blowing to me. - president biden signed the juneteenth national independence day act into law. - we did an episode about a little white girl in the elevator by herself, and the black man shouldn't get on it. and they just. (laughs) (doors ding) but so many white people came up to me and was like, "is that a thing?" and i'm like, "hell yeah!" that was just as important of an episode as juneteenth was. it's like these topics that we touched on. - excuse me! - here we go again. - i hope you enjoy the rest of your racist pageant! johnsons, we out! - no! no, no, no, no! 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(upbeat music) - today, i'm very proud of myself. our president has finally released a birth certificate. - donald trump's campaign began with questioning the legitimacy of the first black president, barack obama. wouldn't you love to see one of these nfl owners when somebody disrespects our flag, get that son of a bitch off the field right now, out? he's fired. he's fired! - people felt they could no longer sit on the sidelines. they saw a lot of folks protesting in the streets. - but at the same time, we couldn't just react in anger. we needed change. we needed real change. - this was an era of resistance to be as loud as possible and as black as possible. there was a fresh crop of creators coming to the forefront, namely donald glover with "atlanta." - i can't imagine what tv would be like now without "atlanta." you don't get something like that without getting to trust the vision of someone like donald glover. - what you have with shows like "atlanta" is they don't even try to just be sitcoms. they're completely comfortable sort of straddling that line between comedy and drama. - where are your ancestors from? congo, ivory coast? - i don't know. this spooky thing called slavery happened, and my entire ethnic identity was erased. - i remember an episode i saw, and i was like, "oh my god. he covered mental illness, black unemployment." - i'm not asking for money. - you should be. aint you homeless? - not real homeless. i'm not using a rat as a phone or something. - don't be racist, man. that make you schizophrenia. that don't make you homeless. - he covered so many topics in not even the whole episode. that was like the first few scenes. - and he gets to do it under a black lens while having that not be the only thing about the show that is intriguing. - black people can now say themselves, "this is who we are," and you see that in shows like "atlanta" and like an "insecure." - i want to thank trump for making black people number one on the most oppressed list. - oh! (upbeat music) - "insecure" is today's version of "living single" and "girlfriends." those shows really paved the way. issa rae took that torch and added to the conversation in a really meaningful way. - i am sexy. let's get outta here. you're super! oh my god, you're a music producer! do you know beck? - it started on youtube. she shared her stories, "the misadventures of awkward black girl." - [j] my name is j, and i'm awkward and black. - that eventually landed at hbo. - i remember we were meeting with hbo, and the title "insecure" had always existed, and we were having a conversation about, "oh, we should rename the show." and they were like, "well, you, issa, there's nothing insecure about you." and she was like, "that's why we're calling the show 'insecure' is because i'm constantly insecure." - i think the secret to "insecure's" success is that hbo eventually let issa do what she wanted to do. "you know what? this isn't our story to tell, but we're gonna give you what you need to tell it." - and it has become this massive pop culture moment that everyone loves, and it's such an honest portrayal of black life. - i've been tased before! tase me again! i'll survive! - we wanted to talk about things that felt like everyday life on a tuesday for black people, not juneteenth. it's not king day. (laughs) it's just gonna be like a tuesday, and this is what we had to deal with on a tuesday. that's where we always felt this show needed to live, and so i feel like those were the ways that "insecure" felt different. ♪ gotta take a risk sometime ♪ gotta take a risk (lively music) - dear white people. we filmed "dear white people," season one in 2016. our last day of filming was the day of the presidential election. "dear white people" ended up releasing in a trump world. - "dear white people" takes place at a fictional ivy league institution, kind of stand in for white america, and there, we follow this group of black students navigating a very white world and figuring out what it means to be black now. - [professor] anyone with some special connection to the material? - it was always like a battle between the people who said, "why do we need a show like this?" and then people saying like really horribly racist stuff. - people were threatening to boycott netflix, and i remember being so scared, like, "wow, we just did all this work. is our show just gone?" and the netflix executive sent us an email and said, (tense music) "we're putting this show out. these comments let us know exactly how much this show is needed." - and frankly, making the show "dear white people" in the time of trump is and was a form of protest. our entire four-season run is book ended by his election win and his, thank god, election loss. - you're not rashida jones biracial. you're tracee ellis ross biracial. people think of you as black. ♪ hip hop music, you like it - so now you have shows like "twenties," which is created by lena waithe, which made history as one of the first shows to have its lead characters lgbtq, and what that says is that we again are changing which made history as one of the first characters who was lgbtq. we are changing and we can tell these stories. black people are so different. >> what stands outus for me abo 20s is the lead character is a black, queer woman. onlynot the sidekick. >> these are conversations we in public. these are conversations uwep aren't supposed to put on tv! >> you know black people don't w like being outside. fivin >> what is amazing about these artists, people like lisa ray, w they are greatoo about wanted t continue the conversation. >> you have been out for three years and what do you have to show for it? ♪ in the middle of everythi ng, ♪ ♪ there's everything to do ♪ ♪ canoe the rivers of shawnee ♪ ♪ try 17th street bbq ♪ ♪ feeding alpacas... friends along the way ♪ ♪ sippin' rosé... what a lovely day! ♪ ♪ off to camel rock ...the perfect sunset! ♪ ♪ have we begun to explore illinois yet? ♪ ♪ in the middle of everything... ♪ ♪ ...there's everything to dooooooooo! ♪ how can anyone love a cat more than a dog. because cats are adorable. debatable. - it's pronounced gif. - it's gif. what is the point of decaf coffee? ev hybrid plug-in hybrid to each their own...electric. find yours at the lexus golden opportunity sales event. ( ♪ ) (vo) it's time to switch to verizon. sadie did. and now she has myplan. the first unlimited plan that lets her choose exactly what goes in it. now she gets to pick only the perks she wants and saves on every one. all with an incredible new iphone. act now and get iphone 14 pro on us when you switch. it's your verizon. kayaking is my thing. running is awesome. but her moderate to severe eczema would make her skin so uncomfortable. now i'm staying ahead of it. dupixent helps heal your skin from within. so, they can have clearer skin and less itch. serious allergic reactions can occur that can be severe. tell your doctor about new or worsening eye problems such as eye pain or vision changes including blurred vision, joint aches and pain, or a parasitic infection. don't change or stop asthma medicines without talking to your doctor. ask your doctor about dupixent. put a smile on your plate with new pancake tacos. because when you fold a pancake in half, you get a taco. or in this case, three for six dollars. ♪ try all four flavors. here for a fun time, not a long time. only from ihop. can watch us in your home (upbeat music) - for oprah winfrey, this is not only the start of a brand new year. it is also the beginning of her new cable network. it's time. - i believe that the future of black television comes in ownership, places that we own, we operate, e our own voice. for oprah winfrey this is for oprah winfrey this is not only the start new year but the beginning of her new cable network. >> i believe the future of black television comes in ownership. places that we own, operate and can have our own voice. >> for everyone who has been given that seat at the table for most of us with melanin, you have to fight. >> you a person like tyler perry who owns a studio. that is remarkable in and of itself, because in 1950 you could never imagine a black man would dominate the space so thoroughly as tyler perry has. >> i think the black ownership of content will disrupt the media ecosystem, because we will not have gatekeepers who are beholden to the status quo or media companies. >> an example of black ownership change in the game is lee daniels and the wonder years. i loved the wonder years growing up. they have rebooted it and reset it in montgomery, alabama, and it reminds me of my childhood. >> lee daniels wanted to tell a story about the black middle class experienced during the late 60s. >> i found a great show runner writer who had a great take on it. >> i think it is time that we talk to you! >> i will take the whipping! >> we decided to set this in the cradle of the civil rights movement. >> not just the tragedy and the pain and the trauma, because we have carried that for so long and we continue to, but trying to build family and community and celebrate and have love in the midst of that. >> abc understandably had a lot of concerns. as soon as we started turning to material, the note was always, can you make it funny? you told us that you wanted real life. trust us. it will be funny when it is supposed to be funny and hard when it is supposed to be heartfelt and dramatic when it is supposed to be dramatic. >> that is what is special, is telling the story of america from our perspective. >> it is great because black people have the chance to be themselves without white creator saying this is how black people are. seems like a drop in the bucket, but then the bucket overflows and everything gets sticky. >> i cannot predict the future black sitcoms but more licenses being taken. more black creators are getting in the door and showing their point of view. we are getting the chance to see creators be more and more. i think about the opportunities we have now and i get excited. when i think about the history of black television, i really think about progress. i think about how our experience in the united states also very much mirrors progress in the medium. >> i really do see the journey from the early years, when so much of this was seen through a wide lens. >> did you get the email about the two of us hanging together after school? >> no. i think it must have gone to spam. >> maya angelou said if you don't like something, change it. if you cannot change it, change your perspective. >> we are the ones who are saying this is who we are, this is why we matter, this is what we want you to understand. we are writing stories for us.