Jasmine Osby
The concept of Black History Month is not a monolith. It is a vital celebration of memories spanning continents, industries and generations that has created what exists today as African American culture. Film and television have documented the changes in Black culture throughout time.
With art oftentimes imitating life, many popular television series became platforms to explore, educate and inform on the depth and beauty of Black history. They document the strides, hardships and achievements of the Black American experience through the lenses of a diverse group of storytellers. Here are a few television shows to watch this Black History Month and where to stream them.
'High On the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America'Release date: 2021Where to stream: NetflixRating: TV-14 New prosecuting attorney in St. Louis County is dating her chief of staff Judge removes Warren County prosecutor, says affair with sergeant spoils hundreds of cases NBA tickets, luxury hotels: St. Louis Public Schools credit card spending continues Missouri AG sues Starbucks, says workforce is 'more female and less white' Joe Buck will have Super Bowl audience of 3 instead of more than 100 million: Media Views Man, upset over traffic fines, files $100 billion liens against Town and Country, suit says Secret plan calls for 'shelterwide euthanasia' at St. Louis County pound, suit says St. Louis school board member who questioned real estate deal gets a new job McClellan: Artificial intelligence is no match for a brawl at SLU basketball game St. Louis prosecutors drop case of woman dragged by car in The Grove Man dead after jumping from bridge into traffic in downtown St. Louis Janet Y. Jackson: How to navigate the new rules under the SSA Fairness Act Uncle Bill's Pancake House to reopen in St. Louis city with new owners Two rounds of wintry precipitation in store for St. Louis this week Local investor to buy Urban Chestnut brewery following bankruptcy
In Black culture, food has always been a sacred gift that helps unify and foster community over a delicious meal. "High On the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America" takes viewers in the depths of American culinary history to uncover how Black Americans revolutionized the North American food palette. Based on the book by Dr. Jessica B. Harris, the docuseries follows show host, chef and writer Stephen Sutterfield as he traces the trail of African American cuisine from open air food of Africa to downhome barbecue pits of Texas. Through his travels, Sutterfield discovers how African stews and Jolof rice became the inspiration for Creole gumbo and jambalaya. Chef James Hemings, a slave of President Thomas Jefferson, introduced macaroni and cheese to the United States after he accompanied the President to Paris. With a camera in tow, Sutterfield showcases the beauty and immense diversity of "soul food."
"High on the Hog" has two four-episode seasons taking viewers on an emotional journey into the complexity of Black food culture. The show won a Peabody Award in 2021 and an NAACP Award for Best Documentary Series in 2022.
'The Parent 'Hood'Release date: 1995Where to stream: TubiRating: TV-PG
When the WB launched in the 1990s, four sitcoms helped establish the network as a must-watch channel on Wednesday nights. One of those shows was "The Parent 'Hood." Starring Robert Townsend and Suzzanne Douglas, the show ran for five seasons, giving viewers 90 episodes of Black family experiences as Townsend navigates parenting his four kids when his wife returns to work. Set in an upper middle-class Manhattan neighborhood, "The Parent 'Hood" depicts a thriving modern, Black family living the American Dream at the turn of the century.
'When They See Us'Release date: 2019Where to stream: NetflixRating: TV-MA
Although some viewers described "When They See Us" as a horror film when it was first released, the four-episode miniseries is based on a real-life nightmare. The Ava DuVerney-directed crime drama told the story of the Central Park Five, a group of Black teenage boys who were falsely accused of raping a female jogger in Central Park in Manhattan in 1989. The teens were thrust into the prison system, enduring countless horrors while incarcerated before a confession and DNA evidence proved their innocence. The show earned many award nominations, including a Primetime Creative Arts Emmy for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Limited Series, Movie or Special.
'The Get Down'Release date: 2016Where to stream: NetflixRating: TV-MA
Full of groove, soul and rhythm, "The Get Down" showcased everything that everyone loved about the 1970s. The afros were big, the music was funky, and the fictional series took viewers on an adventure through a South Bronx neighborhood in 1977. Two young men discover their talents as an emcee and disc jockey during hip-hop's infancy. And what happened next was pure music magic.
"The Get Down" was a cinematic masterpiece created by Baz Luhrmann and Stephen Adly Guirgis for the small screen. The beautifully shot scenes were full of vibrant colors, era appropriate costumes and realistic settings like Studio 54, and the dynamic cast included actor and rapper Jaden Smith. The show referenced many historical hip-hop figures who doubled as show producers including rapper Nas, Grandmaster Flash and Kurtis Blow.
'Atlanta'Release date: 2016Where to stream: HuluRating: TV-MA
Actor, singer and rapper Donald Glover, also known as Childish Gambino, aided in spawning a new generation of Black-surrealism visual content when his show "Atlanta" debuted on FX. It follows Glover's character, a college dropout and aspiring music manager, and an aspiring rapper as they encounter obstacles at every turn in a fictional, seemingly otherworldly Atlanta, Georgia. Brimming with dark humor while tackling issues of race, classism and pop culture hypnotism, "Atlanta" catapulted viewers into an "Inception"-like trance for four seasons. The show won two Golden Globe Awards, two Primetime Emmys and a slew of other awards with Rotten Tomatoes praising it as "ambitious and refreshing."
'Phat Tuesdays'Release date: 2022Where to stream: PrimeRating: 18+
Back in the day, Black comedians trying to make it in Los Angeles weren't typically invited to hit the stand-up stage. Many had a hard time finding work and were blocked out of mainstream comedy clubs in Hollywood. St. Louis native, comedian and actor Guy Torry changed that when he created Phat Tuesdays in 1995, a weekly all-Black comedy night at the iconic Comedy Store on the Sunset Strip.
This three-episode docuseries highlights how Torry's event attracted a celebrity-studded crowd, catapulting comedians like Tiffany Haddish, Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle and more to superstardom after performing at "Phat Tuesdays."
'Living Single'Release date: 1993Where to stream: HuluRating: TV-PG
"Living Single" was a hit television show in the 1990s telling the stories of six African American friends living and figuring out life in Brooklyn. It was a light-hearted, comedy-based sitcom starring Queen Latifah that became an instant cult classic in Black American households. The show ran on Fox for five seasons with the cast becoming small-screen comedy sensations and igniting fan excitement with a slew of celebrity cameos including actress Nia Long, rapper Heavy D and Rosie O'Donnell.
'Lovecraft Country'Release date: 2020Where to stream: MaxRating: TV-MA
At the height of the COVID-19 quarantine, Max (then HBO) released a horror-based show that thrust viewers into the mind of American writer H.P. Lovecraft. Known for his works that depicted reality as the source of true fear, "Lovecraft Country" was 10 episodes of reimagined Lovecraftian horror with Jonathan Majors and Jurnee Smollett navigating through generations of fantasy and fear.
"Lovecraft Country" merges science fiction with history, creating conversations about race and the treatment of African Americans in 1950s Chicago where monsters, racism and other horrors haunt the night. The series was nominated for Best Television Series Drama at the 2021 Golden Globes and landed multiple Primetime Emmy nominations, winning three trophies that year including Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series (Courtney B. Vance). The show was canceled after one season.
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