I have spent hours of my life on social media, in movie theaters, at the library, and in the studio. I eat, sleep, and breathe creative works in the form of art, music, film, and literature. I am a writer, worked on the business side of the music industry, and then went back to school with a concentration in media studies…suffice it to say, I have a vested interest in all forms of media, specifically those representing and portraying my people.ss
In music, diversity in the Black experience is in-your-face-apparent and takes the form of genre in its presentation — from rock and alternative to folk and jazz, pop and country to mumble rap and conscious freestyles, and from R&B and gospel to techno, house, and disco. Not only are we represented in each genre, we are reppin’ where we are from, from the D to LA, ATL to NYC, MIA to NOLA — across borders and even oceans. The diversity that I have always loved in music was just somehow not consistently present in television and film — at least not enough to counteract the effects of the nightly “news” coverage, damming published statistics, and other propaganda intent upon maintaining the tropes/stereotypes that uphold false narratives. What narratives? That our best-selling assets and the way to our on screen success lies in our bodies, sex, drugs, and drama. That real content and edutainment don’t stand a chance up against the highly entertaining, often exploitative, superficial shows capitalizing off of our pain, in-fighting, jealousy, and overall “ratchet-ness” sprinkled with the age-old “crabs in a bucket” mentality. That our “ins” (in)to entertainment can only come through the use of ill-gotten resources, music, and sports. That we are not interested in showing the facets of blackness we all know exist nor are we interesting enough to hold an audience’s attention without the stereotypes. That advertisers and those outside the community won’t invest in us telling our stories ourselves on our networks. Oh, but then, along came OWN Network. And just like that, “the game done changed.”
I could name several programs on television that star black actors and give perspective, but from a network perspective, no one is doing it quite like Auntie Oprah right now (a little shade toViacom-owned BET but NO SHADE to Auntie Cathy owned, Urban One). Thanks to a vision that includes such a strong, solid array of talented writers, directors, producers, and actors we are getting wall-to-wall excellence with relevant storylines, relatable characters, and updated messaging that looks and feels high-budget and high-quality. It’s a one stop shop right now: we’ve got the soap operas, dramas, can get our lives fixed, our businesses minded, and our soul souped up while not having to give up the guilty pleasure of reality TV (but here, we can actually watch the show with our parents and children). 😍😜
This post is clearly a gush-fest about the #OWNNetwork because I wanted to acknowledge (in real-time) the significance of this network. This group is upping the game onscreen and behind the scenes. OWN is making necessary cultural statements and contributions with fresh perspectives on the 21st century diaspora. Do we realize how phenomenal this is? This isn’t just a couple time slots folks with censored, guarded messaging this is us, back-to-back-to-back, #NoCap, #NoFilter, #NoSubstitutions.
So, “Heyyyyyyy Auntie Oprah!” we see you and we are vested in watching and beyond this, in engaging in conversations and conversion about the gamut of the Black experience these shows represent. Please keep giving us Ava, Mara, Salim, Tyler, Iyanla, Mahisha, and yourself (among others). This is what we have been waiting for and appreciate what it took to build toward this BAWSE move. What an example of doing what you have to do in order to do what you want to do. Your stake in Black history and your contributions are innumerable…and immeasurable. Watching your rise, your grind, and your hustle has been inspiring and I can’t wait to see what is written in the annals of history about it. And don’t worry, you have opened so many doors, we are sure to be some of the writers of that history juuuuust to ensure it is accurate and in context.
Amassing power of this magnitude requires time, patience, resource gathering, and compromise; it is the epitome of what brand building, market positioning , and cashing in on the reserves you’ve built over time can manifest. Serving the community takes on many forms and is a lifetime of stair-steps to victory. There are so many wins out there for the taking, but we have to strategically play the game, guard our reputations, and execute the route. She took no shortcuts to the top, and has planted the flag.
In the meantime, who is working, building, and sacrificing to carry on the legacy?
P.S. yes, I know that Auntie O sold majority ownership to Discovery in 2017, but the vision hasn’t changed, the programming is only getting better, and our people are working! #DebateYaMama
