A “Crazy Idea” for Smart Indie Black talk show Begs to be Made

Weeks before Black Americans’ Freedom Day aka Juneteenth, an idea gurgled up in my imagination, and a question nagged me: what facets of American Blackness don’t we see on-screen? 

My idea is to create a regularly airing in-person video conversation show. I imagine something exciting. The very smart and funny shows “Desus and Mero” and “Key and Peele” are gone; the former ended on “Showtime” in 2022, the latter in 2015 on “Comedy Central”. This would be a video show could free American culture from common, toxic and stifling stereotypes of Black Americans as athletes, entertainers or criminals. 

This show would offer three smart and approachable segments on conversation. Thinking in terms of Juneteenth, which is too late for this essay, these substantive conversations could implicitly “free” Black Americans freedom from bias.

Our pocket screens aka “phones” and big screens habitually lose sight of Blackness? Ideally the conversations would show Blacks beyond common, stifling stereotypes of them as giddily crude, ignorant criminals, or athletes or entertainers, and seldom professionals.

Because of this, mental and self-talk frame of “if you can see it, you can be it” among Blacks as regards careers remains vital. 

In 2024 for Blacks and others to see Black people are doing jobs, which we don’t imagine or expect them to do could be splendid. Some of these high-ranking Blacks run university colleges or are the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, like Linda Thomas-Greenfield. And although most viewers are used to him, a Black man, Lester Holt, is anchor for NBC Nightly News.

In order to increase nuance of the show, a segment where, if the show came to be known enough, I ask well-known guests “what hobby or interest would surprise viewers” could hold special appeal. 

In a media and entertainment landscape where little is expected for or from Black Americans, conversations with little-heralded brown-skinned professionals could be a refreshing choice. A choice, which viewers didn’t know they wanted or needed.