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Aida Osman and KaMillion star in "Rap Sh!t," an HBO Max show about two Miami rappers on the come up.
On TV, the Black South is finally getting its due
September 18, 2022
(CNN)For decades, the blueprint for a Black show has hit similar notes -- a stable, middle class family based in New York or Los Angeles.
Of course, sometimes the family consisted of a group of friends, as seen on "Girlfriends." And other times, the city was in the Midwest, as seen on "Family Matters" (Chicago) or "Martin" (Detroit).
But rarely did a mainstream show featuring Black people take place in the South. And rarely did they portray struggles outside the middle class existence.
A look around recent television offerings, though, points to something new. "P-Valley" on Starz, HBO Max's "Rap Sh!t," FX's "Atlanta," and OWN's "Queen Sugar," the latter two of which both began their final seasons this month, are some of the buzziest shows on TV.
Their characters are not doctors or lawyers -- they're strippers, rappers, farmers, or, simply put, hustlers. And the shows all take place in the South.
Southern stories are not new
Telling Southern stories, though, isn't new. In some ways, television is simply following the lead of other spaces in culture, said Aisha Durham, a professor of communication who studies Black popular culture at the University of South Florida.In music and film, the South has been portrayed for decades with nuance and intentionality, Durham said, referencing films like "Eve's Bayou" and, more recently, "Moonlight" -- both movies where the Southern setting, Louisiana and Miami respectively, play a crucial role.
At the same time, new sounds and music genres have emerged from the South, she explained, like trap. And artists like Beyoncé and Megan Thee Stallion have incorporated Southern Black aesthetics into their fashion and music videos.
"You have new bodies, new people, new experiences and I think it invites us to look at the South differently," Durham said. "I would say that TV is almost, especially in terms of dramatic series, a little late."
Alex Hibbert and Mahershala Ali in "Moonlight," a 2016 film about a Black boy coming to terms with his sexuality in Miami.
The South has also been top of mind in other areas of our culture, often receiving national attention -- as seen with this year's runoff votes in Georgia.
For a long time, many people thought of Southern stories only in the context of the civil rights movement and segregation, Durham said. But the South is a bedrock of every aspect of American popular culture, she said. And now, many are looking back at the region and thinking of the other stories that can still be told.
"We're now seeing some of the vividness and vibrancy that has always been a part of the South," Durham said. "We have known that in the South, it's just that everybody else is catching up."
Current shifts reflect the shifting entertainment industry
If there has been a shift, it's been a business one, argued Tracey Salisbury, professor of ethnic studies at California State University, Bakersfield.It's not that perceptions of the South are changing, or have changed -- but that the industry has shifted locales, Salisbury said, making Atlanta a major hub for entertainment rather than just New York or Los Angeles.
Tyler Perry, whose work is polarizing to some, has based his production studio in Atlanta, and has long set his film and shows in the South. He also has a partnership with the Oprah Winfrey Network, which produces "Queen Sugar."
Nicco Annan, left, plays Uncle Clifford, the gender-nonconforming owner of the strip club, on "P-Valley."
There are also simply more Black creatives who have a voice in television, Salisbury said, which allows for the telling of new and interesting stories.
"These stories have been present and these stories have been previously pitched, I just think now there's a significant talent base and a significant audience ... to drive Hollywood to support these stories," she said.
business going on in the south.
