#blackAF

Created by Kenya Barris, #blackAF is a semi-autobiographical, original series produced by Netflix in 2020. The show marks Barris's acting debut, wherein he masterfully plays a fictionalized version of himself, sharing a highly entertaining and insightful glance at what it is like to walk in his shoes as a successful black television writer-producer-family man in contemporary America.

With a fascinating blend of comedy and brutally honest examinations of racial dynamics, #blackAF digs into the intersection of race and culture in the United States. The show uses Barris' recorded interactions with his family and the entertainment industry to explore institutional racism and cultural bias all through an uproarious and frequently sarcastic lens.

Barris portrays a fresh off a lucrative Netflix deal version of himself, a high-profile television writer and producer who has attained considerable wealth. He constantly grapples with whether he is appropriately representing his culture to his six kids and educating them about their black heritage. At the same time, he struggles with the freedom his success affords him and the expectation to use his privilege to elevate others within the black community. The character’s self-reflective outlook opens a pathway for the exploration of personal and social culpability, making the series thought-provoking and impactfully resonant.

On the upside, despite skewering conventional family sitcom tropes, #blackAF still manages to ground itself in the familiar dynamics of large family sitcoms. Kenya's real-life wife, Rashida Jones, plays Joya, his fictional wife in the series. As a successful lawyer turned full-time mother, Joya’s character reveals the challenges faced by a high-achieving woman balancing between her personal ambitions and the demands of a big family. The juxtaposition of the two characters' perspectives offers a nuanced examination of contemporary parenthood and identity from a black perspective that is not often portrayed in television.

Their six children, each possessing unique personalities and attitudes towards their father's success, add to this chaotic yet artfully-constructed sitcom environment. There is an intentional eagerness to uncover the complexity of modern black experiences through the perspective of these young characters. Their storylines present the perfect opportunity for #blackAF to dive into issues such as colorism, representation, the burden of history, and the pressures of being black in predominantly white spaces.

#blackAF also uniquely incorporates meta-television elements. Several episodes intermingle the family’s daily life with a mockumentary-style subplot run by the character of Drea, Barris’s second oldest daughter. This self-referential documentary within a series format adds another facet to the storytelling style, frequently punctuating the narrative with insightful, hilarious, and sobering commentary on the state of Black culture in America and the success-failure paradox.

The show features guest appearances from numerous Hollywood icons, who provide their own take on the industry and its relationship with race and fame. Barris’s character's interactions with these stars upend the typical celebrity cameo conventions, with conversations that are as deep as they are funny.

Onward to the aesthetics, #blackAF is crafted in a vibrant and slick visual style that mirrors its creator's real-life opulence. However, it efficiently utilizes the glitz and glamour as a reflective tool to scrutinize the fine line between celebrating black success and surrendering to excess.

#blackAF can be cuttingly humorous and culturally responsible in the same breath. It’s a show that triggers dialogue and challenges the viewer’s perspectives on racial representation, success, familial relationships, and cultural identity. Recognized for its genre-blending and bold examinations of Black life and success in America, #blackAF offers an unflinching, humorous, and thought-provoking exploration of what it means to be black in modern-day America.