Black audiences have always been aware of the power of TV to influence ideology and aspirations. A Different World, the Cosby Show spinoff, made me want to go to Florida A&M University, a historically Black college, and Jodie Landon, a standout in the animated 90s classic Daria, personified my overachieving high school years in a small town.
The enormous impact of feeling seen prompted my mom to call me the first time our hometown news anchor wore her natural hair. It’s how political commentators and national correspondents like NBC’s Kristen Welker, MSNBC’s Joy Reid and CNN’s Abby Philip are changing perceptions of who can lead a news desk and whose voice matters. It’s also why a character as fantastical as Bridgerton’s Lady Danbury can seem as relatable as our most eloquent and brutally honest auntie.
For the rest of America, the isolation of prolonged social distancing has perhaps hinted at the isolation many diverse populations have long felt from being underrepresented in the office, at school, or even in public policy. As African Americans navigate these challenges, the role of television content has become heightened. No longer merely a source of entertainment, information or even inspiration, TV consumption in Black households has become essential to how we cope, connect and endure in the midst of COVID-19 and the layered crises that have disproportionately impacted black and brown communities during the last year.
Os fardos dessa era têm sido especialmente graves para as mulheres negras, que assumem níveis significativos de influência e responsabilidade na família negra atual e na sociedade em geral. O consumo de conteúdo que reflete nossa jornada única pode ser uma forma de autocuidado muito necessária. Apesar da preponderância de mulheres negras ocupando papéis de destaque fora das telas, ainda há uma escassez de conteúdo que reconheça nossas contribuições nas telas. Embora encontrar esse tipo de conteúdo ainda possa ser um desafio, fazê-lo é, muitas vezes, motivo de comemoração nas comunidades negras, gerando tópicos de tendência nas mídias sociais e conversas em casa.
Com mais opções de conteúdo do que nunca - cada uma com um preço -, o público americano está considerando um espectro mais amplo do que nunca de redes de transmissão, pacotes de TV a cabo à la carte e centenas de opções de streaming. À medida que o público negro procura investir seu tempo e dinheiro em conteúdo, a diversidade de conteúdo que as plataformas oferecem pode ser o fator decisivo para os consumidores que estão avaliando quais serviços manterão após um período de teste.
Parity in representation is important, but TV isn’t always about reflecting reality. It’s often a way to escape it. This makes the expansion of the stories, themes and roles Black women and Black men inhabit, both in front of and behind the camera, just as critical. Not just for the thrill that being seen has on Black audiences, but for the potential that full inclusion in the creation and distribution of TV content will have in shaping the hopes and dreams of Black families, our country and the world.
For additional insights, download our recent The New Black Family Culture: Navigating Culture Through Content report. Learn more about the work Nielsen is doing in African American communities across the U.S.
