Parents' Guide to #BlackAF

This comedy series does a good job of light-heartedly tackling weightier issues such as: the 'white gaze,' the isolation that wealthy, black kids often feel at predominantly white private schools, and the balancing act that many feel the need to play as they socially climb and more. One of the most powerful themes of #BlackAF is the clever depiction of what Dr. Cornel West and author Toni Morrison have coined as "paraphernalia of suffering," which is essentially the over-consumption of material things such as cars, homes, and clothing as a means to compensate for generations of emotional and psychological trauma by an oppressive society. The concept of obtaining "new money" is comically depicted with valuable urgency. Parents are depicted as being open about their flaws, and lessons are learned about racial and social thought patterns.

While the frequent strong language can be distracting, #BlackAF addresses a serious question that many people of color around the world--especially black people, still grapple with today. "How do you get accepted or navigate in an environment where you are now forced to live with the same people who for 400 years have oppressed you?" The humorous depiction of the "white gaze" is effective. However, many of the tropes depicted are predictable. The images of enslaved people working on cotton plantations, the historical mini-lessons on "peacocking" and "Sunday Best" are enough to keep viewers intrigued even if the messages are redundant. Reference to racial epithets that have a historically negative connotation such as "darkie" and "coon" provide a great opportunity to revisit this part of history with teenagers and even adults.