Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Preface: Why Black Professionalisms, Why TV and Why Now?
Introduction: Defining Black-Collar Professionalisms
Part I—Black Love: Families and Friendships
Battling Impostor Syndrome: Authenticity, Urban Realities and the Black Bourgeoisie in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
LaToya T. Brackett
ABC’s Black-ish: A Critical Analysis of the Black Professional Parent
Mia L. Anderson
Black Brotherhood, Professionalism and Entrepreneurship as Depicted in Martin, The Wayans Bros. and Malcolm & Eddie
David Stamps
“I’m glad I got my girls”: Black Women, Working, Friending and Seeking Love in Fox’s Living Single
LaToya T. Brackett
Part II—Publicly Figured Characters
Tackling Stereotypes: Portrayals of Black NFL Athletes on The CW’s The Game and HBO’s Ballers
Darnel Degand
#IamMaryJane: Blackness, Womanhood and Professionalism in BET’s Being Mary Jane
Malika T. Butler and Kristal Moore Clemons
Capital Codes and Money Moves: The Ironies of Professionalism in Empire
Natalie J. Graham
Part III—Medical Professionals
Shonda Rhimes’ Grey’s Anatomy and My Year of Saying Yes to Everything
Adelina Mbinjama-Gamatham
Sapphires with Stethoscopes: Black Women Practicing Medicine on Television
Phokeng Motsoasele Dailey
The Curious Case of the Black Male Doctor: Character Actualization and Moderate Blackness of ER’s Peter Benton
LaToya T. Brackett
Part IV—Educators and the Educated
Anti-Blackness and Colorblindness in Post-Cosby Sitcoms: Likeable Black Teachers, Exceptional Black Students but/and Everybody Hates Chris
Amir Asim Gilmore
“Dear White People: It truly is A Different World”: Representations of Black Male Faculty in Television Series
Dominick N. Quinney
Part V—Policing and Politics
Not So Black and White: Race, Police and Double Standards in The Shield
Saravanan Mani
Mammies, Jemimas, Jezebels and Sapphires: Deconstructing Representations of Black Women Coroners on Crime Dramas
Tammie Jenkins
Black Woman: High-Powered but Not Balanced in Shondaland
Adelina Mbinjama-Gamatham and Eleda Mbinjama
Part VI—New Television
Awkward and Black: Redefining Representations of Black Women on The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl and Insecure
Regina M. Duthely
Behind Their Masks: Complex Black Superheroes on the Small Screen
Christopher Alanye Covington
About the Contributors
Index