One of my students recently, but jokingly, called me a "Boomer." I only half knew what that meant, but it led to a discussion about identity and representation. I explained to a group of them that I can actually name one one hand the only Black people that were on television when I was a kid. (Well, maybe TWO hands if I think hard enough.)
Just think about that for a minute. It was actually during my lifetime that I saw the color scheme in television and cinema offer more variety in characterizations.
BILL COSBY - I Spy
FLIP WILSON
SAMMY DAVIS JR
VARIOUS PERFORMERS AND COMEDIANS ON THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW (SUNDAY NIGHTS ONLY)
“PEGGY” ON MANNIX - Gail Fisher
"LT UHURA" ON STAR TREK - Nichelle Nichols
"LINK" ON THE MOD SQUAD Clarence Williams, III
I remember when we would go to the movies to see only Elvis Presley or James Bond films because there weren’t any films with Black people in them. At least none with positive imagery. Most of the roles were depictions of criminality, servitude or buffoonery. I also remember how it felt when “Shaft” was released. Watching him go after the “man” in his bad ass leather suit boosted our confidence, self image and reinforced our perception of ourselves forever. Jim Brown, Richard Roundtree, Fred Williamson & Bernie Casey made us forget all about Elvis. Seeing confident and proud Black characters on the big screen validated our existence and was a major turning point for our collective self esteem. It’s difficult to explain this to those who have never experienced an absence of self awareness in their lives.
