The 90s sitcom boom that changed Black representation on TV

Martin. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Living Single. In Living Color.

They’re just a few of the shows from the 1990’s boom in Black-centered television. 

In a new book, PBS Newshour co-anchor Geoff Bennett argues this was a golden era of TV, which for the first time offered full and varied depictions of Black life on the small screen. Black Out Loud: The Revolutionary History of Black Comedy from Vaudeville to ‘90s Sitcoms traces the roots of Black comedy back to the early minstrel shows in the late 19th century.

Bennett, a South Jersey native, explores how performers like Moms Mabley, Hattie McDaniel, Redd Foxx, Richard Pryor, Dave Chappelle and many others pushed social change, subversively challenged racial stereotypes, all while keeping their audiences, both Black and white, laughing through it all.

Bennett joins us to share this history and talk about the impact it had on his life.

Guest:

— Geoff Bennett, co-anchor of PBS News Hour and author of Black Out Loud: The Revolutionary History of Black Comedy from Vaudeville to ‘90s Sitcoms