‘Black-ish’ Finale: How It Changed The Way Sitcoms Spoke About Culture, Social Issues And People Of Color

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Black-ish aired its final episode after eight seasons. Throughout its run on ABC, we saw the Johnson family live in a world progressive enough that a Black man from Compton can reach the heights of success, while at the same time still being subjected to both covert and blatant forms of racism, the latter of which many believe this country was built upon.Loosely based on the life of show’s creator Kenya Barris, Black-ish was able to achieve what many other programs on network television could not; be able to properly address social issues, tackle emotional family problems such as death and divorce, and even got the audience to understand that growth is something that should happen with everyone, every day, regardless of age, race or gender – all while maintaining a high level of comedic relief.Starring Anthony Anderson as Andre “Dre” Johnson and Tracee Ellis Ross as Dr.

Rainbow Johnson, the show centered around a Black family of affluence (something not normally highlighted) and the often-overlooked struggle of being open to change – whether it be financial, social, or otherwise – while not losing oneself in the process.

Andre and Rainbow were two parents who worked hard in order to provide a higher quality of life for themselves and their loved ones, but they found it much more important to instill Black culture their children Zoey (Yara Shahidi), Junior (Marcus Scribner), Jack (Miles Brown), Diane (Marsai Martin), and their youngest, DeVante (August and Berlin Gross), and continue to remind them who they are, and where they come from.Many networks lack diversity in positions both in front of, and behind the camera.