Black History Month-Black Girls on TV in the 90s

The 90’s were a glorious time for Black television. There were so many shows that provided a diversity of depictions of Black life, from the big name ones we all know and love (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Martin, Living Single) to the less remembered, but equally as good in quality (Roc, South Central). What I really loved most about watching tv in the 90s as a kid were the plethora of Black female characters that I could admire and identify with, whether it was Moesha, Tia and Tamara from Sister Sister, or Ashely from The Fresh Prince. For Black History Month, I wanted to highlight a few Black female characters that stood out for their nuanced portrayals, memorable scenes, and ability to still enjoy girlhood despite adversities they faced. I also wanted to highlight some of the less remembered shows, although they didn’t receive the same amount of acclaim as the more known shows, they still provided important and complex portrayals of Black life that deserve to be praised. 

Tasha Mosley, portrayed by Tasha Scott, South Central (1994) 

Tasha was the youngest child of Joan Mosley, a divorced single mother raising three children (her oldest son Marcus was murdered by gang members) in South Central Los Angeles. As the only girl in the family, Tasha often had to miss out on school activities to watch after her younger foster brother, Deion, while her mother worked at the neighborhood co-op market. She was forced to take on a lot of responsibility for a young girl, while her older brother Andre often ran the streets. While Joan finds Andre a mentor to help keep him out of trouble, Tasha is left on her own to navigate adolescence, school, a struggling community, and family dynamics. Joan does a lot to make sure that Andre doesn’t end up dead, in jail or in a gang, but she doesn’t do anything to protect Tasha from the same outcomes, or other types of violence young girls are at particular risk of. Joan seems to embody the phrase, “mothers raise their daughters and love their sons”. Despite the hardships she faces, Tasha is resilient, outspoken, and stands up for herself. During the last episode of the season (South Central was cancelled after one 10-episode season, along with the other Black majority sitcoms that aired on Tuesday nights on the Fox network; major side-eye), at a local teen night event, Tasha surprises everyone, including her brother Andre, by performing a song, using her beautiful, raw and engaging voice to express herself. 

Sheila Hendricks, portrayed by Alexis Fields, Roc (1991-1994)

Sheila Hendricks was a teenage girl that Roc and his wife Eleanor took in after her father Calvin (a friend of the family), was sentenced to prison for attempted murder of a drug dealer in their Baltimore neighborhood. While she is sad that her father is gone, she’s also angry with him for seeming to care more about the neighborhood than her; taking the responsibility into his own hands to get rid of the local drug dealer. Not only does Sheila have to deal with her father being in prison, she has to adjust to living with another family, while also struggling with the pains and awkwardness of being a teenager. One of the best episodes of this too short series (it was one of the Black shows on Fox that was canceled in 1994, along with South Central and In Living Color), is when Sheila stands up for herself against a boy who sexually harasses her at school. She is steadfast in her right to defend herself against unwanted interactions, and I was really glad to see that the writers had Eleanor also stand up for Sheila, when Roc and the boy’s father believe her actions were unwarranted, because “boys will be boys”. 

Zaria Peterson portrayed by Reagan Gomez-Preston, The Parent ‘Hood (1995-1999)

The Parent ‘Hood was a sitcom centered on an upper middle class African American family in Harlem, created by and starring Robert Townsend. Reagan Gomez-Preston portrayed Zaria Peterson, the second oldest child of Robert and Jerri Peterson. Zaria was typical of sitcom teenagers, obsessed with friends, boys, and gaining independence from her parents. But there are a few episodes where her empathy, compassion, and loyalty really shined through. In one Season 4 episode, Zaria’s friend Jasmine (played by Bianca Lawson), is in an abusive relationship with her boyfriend, singer Malik D. Even after Malik D tries to turn Jasmine against Zaria, by claiming Zaria kissed him (when it was he who kissed her without consent), Zaria remains determined to be there for her friend and encourage her to leave the relationship before the abuse turned physical. Another one of my favorite Zaria moments is when she goes to bat for her friend Simone (played by Alexis Fields, a fixture on 90s Black sitcoms!), a single mother whose full-ride college scholarship was rescinded because her being a single mother made her a bad role model (eye-roll). I really liked how Zaria defended Simone against everyone else’s, including her own mother's, respectability politics and even initially turned down the scholarship when it was offered to her. 

Much of our culture is in full-on 90s nostalgia, with 90s themed parties, pop-up bars, and throwback fashion. The diversity of Black representation on tv in the 90s is such a huge part of what made the 90s so great in terms of media and culture, and I hope that is something that young Black people growing up today get to experience. With so many more options for consuming media content (streaming services, YouTube, etc.), there has definitely been a renaissance in terms of Black television for the last few years. I do wish that the shows I highlighted in this essay, and other Black shows from previous decades were available on multiple streaming platforms. Our shows deserve to be rediscovered, revered and honored as the classics they are.