When people bring up Black History Month, the focus is usually on historical figures, music, or major events. Those conversations are important, but they also made me think about something smaller — the TV shows I grew up watching.
As a kid, I didn’t pick shows based on representation or their impact. I watched whatever was funny, whatever happened to be on after school, and whatever I could stay up late enough to watch instead of going to bed. Looking back now, a lot of those shows were Black-centered sitcoms and reality TV, and at the time, I never thought twice about it. They were just shows I liked.
The Proud Family
The Proud Family is one of the first shows I remember watching regularly. As a kid, I didn’t think about anything deeper — Penny and her friends were funny, the parents were dramatic, the siblings were annoying, and every episode somehow turned into chaos.
Rewatching it now, I realize how much of the show was just everyday family life. School drama, embarrassing parents, friendships, and growing up were all part of it. It never felt like it was trying to teach a lesson, but it still felt real and relatable.
Everybody Hates Chris
I originally started watching Everybody Hates Chris because it was always on TV, and it was genuinely funny. Chris narrating his own life and constantly getting into trouble at school made it entertaining, even though my life looked completely different.
The humor pulled me in, but the storytelling is what made it memorable. The show balanced comedy with real situations — strict parents, school pressure, and trying to fit in — which is probably why it still stands out to me now.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is one of those shows everyone seems to know, even if they’ve never watched every episode. I started watching reruns casually but ended up getting invested in the characters more than I expected.
One of the things I liked most was how quickly it could shift tones. One episode could be completely ridiculous and funny, and the next could suddenly be emotional. Even as a kid, those moments stuck with me, even if I didn’t fully understand them at the time.
Black-ish
I watched Black-ish when I was a bit older, and it felt different from the other sitcoms because I could actually follow the conversations happening. It was still funny, but it also talked about real issues while keeping the show entertaining.
It made me realize sitcoms don’t have to be only comedy or only serious — they can do both at the same time.
Bring It!
This was honestly a reality TV obsession. I watched Bring It! for the dancing and the drama, but I kept watching because of how intense it was. The amount of discipline and pressure those girls handled was crazy, especially considering how young they were.
At the time, I mostly paid attention to the performances and arguments, but now I can appreciate the dedication and work behind it a lot more.
Abbott Elementary
Now in college, Abbott Elementary is one of my favorite shows. The humor is different from the other shows — less over-the-top and more subtle — which is part of what makes it so good.
Watching it now also feels different because I notice what the show is saying underneath the jokes. It’s still a comedy, but there’s a lot more going on than just humor.
I didn’t watch these shows because I was trying to learn something. I watched them because they were entertaining and easy to come back to. But looking back, they were some of the most memorable shows from my childhood and the ones I still return to now.
Black History Month often focuses on the past, but the media is part of culture, too. These shows were just normal TV to me growing up, and maybe that’s part of why they mattered — they were simply stories I enjoyed that stayed with me long after I first watched them.