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Color Outside the Lines – Celebrates Black History Month

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Welcome to Color Outside the Lines, a place for BIPOC avocados to talk. PROMPT: celebrating Black History Month, in particular Black media, Films & Television shows.

Hello! Welcome to COTL, a discussion place for BIPOC. Posted the first 3 Wednesdays of the month

Thread Rules

  1. We ask that only those who identify as people of color participate in this discussion. White Avocados, while valued members of this community, should remain in ‘lurk’ mode.
  2. Shaming and hateful speech are unacceptable.
  3. Please keep potentially traumatic content safely behind spoiler tags.
  4. Nobody on this thread is more or less a person of color than anyone else. (We will not set clearly delineated boundaries on who qualifies as a ‘person of color.’ As a starting point, this thread uses the definition of ‘non-European heritage of sufficient prominence to affect one’s navigation of a society built on white normativity.’ However, we recognize that there are identities which skirt either side of the divide. If people feel that they meaningfully experience the identity of being a person of color, then they are welcome to participate.)

Hello all. This will be the last COTL thread this month (unless someone expresses a desire to post another thread next week?) and thus I would like to put the focus back on Black History Month.

I would also like to put the focus on some influential African American media (this being a pop culture website) that has not only made a substantial impact on popular culture, but the world around us. Even all the way to little ol’ me in the UK.

From Nichelle Nichols in Star Trek, to Sidney Poitier or Denzel Washington in multiple Oscar winning film roles, (PROMPT) There’s substantial Black Media and individuals worth highlighting. So what or who are your media (Films, TV shows, etc) or people worth highlighting?

For my money, 3 of my favourite shows of all time: The Wire, an incredible breakdown of life in the City of Baltimore & the many facets that operated within it. From the ridiculous ‘War on Drugs’ to the failures of institutions such as politics, policing & schools. It is widely considered to be one of the greatest shows ever made. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine* & POSE round out the other 2 of my choices, that I decided on last night.

*Deep Space Nine: hey, I’m a trekkie, what can I say! I just did a huge rewatch in the last few weeks and it weighs heavily on my mind. However, even this show; in one of biggest media franchises in the world, that was a proponent of progress and equality and finally featured it’s first African American male series lead & (eventual) Captain, had some problems dealing with race.1According to Ira Steven Behr (Exec Producer and Show runner) in a podcast I recently listened to, the studio heads pissed off Avery Brooks by dictating his haircut for the first 2 seasons. Over his objections and preference to be bald. The lead of the show forced to quibble over his haircut 🙁 Despite its many issues, the show was ahead of it’s time, in terms of serialization and also featured powerful moments of reflection on race (‘Far Beyond the Stars’) and one of the most loving black father-son relationships put to screen, at a time when African American men were constantly being described as absentee fathers:

POSE being a sensational, realistic, drama about a predominantly Black LGBTQ+ ‘Ballroom’ community living in NYC2featuring one of the largest casts of Black transgender women of color and their genuine struggles against many systemic injustices (that continue to this day). Especially the HIV and AIDS pandemic, as the show is set in the 90’s. I’m currently binging season 2 and it is a sometimes painful (trans women of color getting murdered!? No way… /s **), but ultimately powerful and uplifting show about people on the periphery of society, struggling to survive, make do, build relationships, find love and also have fun. The End credits in season 2 feature a selection of powerful quotes:

** https://www.hrc.org/resources/fatal-violence-against-the-transgender-and-gender-expansive-community-in-2023

Despite the real and genuine suffering the show depicted it always strove to show a positive light: the fun, life, friends, family and love these marginalized people were able to find.

Billy Porter was sensational & became the first openly gay black man to win an Emmy for Lead actor in a drama.
The whole Ballroom scene of the 90’s was alive. The drama and fun present throughout.

Michaela Jaé Rodriguez was the first Transgender woman to earn an Emmy nomination for a leading role in Drama. Pipped out in being nominated, by fellow Transgender woman of color Laverne Cox, in any acting category for Orange is the New Black, in the Supporting Actress in Drama category in 2014. Laverne won a Daytime Emmy the next year.

For those wondering (other Emmy wins):

Of course, this being Black History Month and the final COTL of February (unless anyone would like to post (or have) another thread next week?) please feel free to discuss anything else of interest either related to Black History Month OR feel free to go off topic!

P.S. Is anyone able to identify all the individuals in the featured header image (courtesy of the Shenandoah University website 5https://www.su.edu/blog/2020/02/04/black-history-month/)

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