With the growing popularity of reality television, the spirit of true friendship has been lost. Instead of showing our sisters helping each other through thick and thin, we see women throwing drinks on one another, cursing each other out and purposefully being petty. Not too long ago, our television screens were filled with besties giggling over crushes on boys, problem solving together, and carelessly having fun. Here are nine examples of unity that we love and miss.
9. Moesha, Kim and Niecy
Mo, Kim and Niecy were always together. They’d sit in the local teen hangout, “The Den” and chat about boys, school, and strict parents. It seemed as if Moesha was always in a sticky situation but Kim and Niecy were consistently there for her. Even though Mo always dated the cutest guys, there was never any jealousy from either of her best friends.
8. Breanna and Spirit
One on One is a show that is often overlooked when reminiscing on old sitcoms, but it was so good! Breanna and her best friend Spirit had fun every episode, and would even get in trouble with their parents for the sake of a good time. They navigated high school together with the help of one another’s advice, and if a problem arose they solved it maturely because they loved each other too much to end their friendship.
7. Laura and Maxine
The popular sitcom “Family Matters” is well known for the characters getting into seemingly unfixable situations but somehow making their way out every time. Laura and Maxine’s friendship went through some test and trials over the years but they remained remarkably loyal to one another. Even though they inevitably had fights and disagreements, neither one of them decided to be petty to the other because they loved each other so much.
6. Girlfriends
The show “Girlfriends” is the epitome of best friend goals. Each woman had a unique personality yet they all managed to remain each other’s closest confidante. This show gave us friendships that came from elementary school, college and the workplace. The characters endured some tough issues such as miscarriage, divorce and rocky friendships making this show a popular and relatable one with older adults. Joan, Maya, Lynn and Toni were successful, sophisticated, funny, and most of all loyal friends.
5.Tia and Tamera
Although they are twin sisters, Tia and Tamera gave us sincere love and friendship. In the show Sister Sister, neither of them knew they had a twin and chose to live together with their parents who adopted them. In each episode we were given honest displays of friendship through their unbreakable bond. They could never stay mad at each other for too long and had each other’s back no matter what.
4. Penny and Dijonay
Our favorite characters from The Proud Family, Penny and Dijonay brought us realness. These girls came to us with raw and effortless laughter, fun and support. At the end of the day, despite any issues, they always make sure that they are cool “like the other side of the pillow”.
3. Whitley and Kim
A Different World gave us a ton of unique, special relationships that represented the diverse groups we have in real life. One of those was the friendship of Kim and Whitley. They couldn’t have come from more completely opposite backgrounds which initially caused them to clash when placed together as roommates in college. Despite their dissimilarities, they grew close and stood up for one another when they knew they were right. But also told each other that they were in the wrong when that occurred which is so essential in a genuine friendship.
2. Gina and Pam
The sitcom Martin was filled with comedy and jokes. Even though Martin would always pick on his girlfriend Gina’s best friend, Pam, you cannot deny the fact that Pam always had Gina’s back. Pam was there when Gina and Martin (briefly) broke up and she was there when Martin was picking out Gina’s engagement ring. Whatever Gina decided to do, Pam was down and vice-versa!
1.Girl Groups
Destiny’s Child, SWV, TLC, Xscape, EnVogue, and Floetry just to name a few are so missed by us all. During the time they were topping the charts, we’d get two or three of our best friends and lipsync to their cds in our bedroom pretending we were them. It was wonderful to see them on our tv screens together having the time of their lives. Their albums are the soundtracks of our childhood/teen years and we wish we could go back to those days where their music was on the radio uplifting and celebrating our sisters rather than tearing each other down.
It’s hard to remember that there was once a time when reality television and music about taking another woman’s man was not popular, but boy do we wish they still were. To see unity and black women empowerment through authentic friendships was definitely the highlight of the 90s and 2000s.