WAOD Reader Challenge: "Find the Non-Angry" Black Women

Cal Thomas said on Fox News that there are no NON-ANGRY Black women on TV. He might have a point. So today we have a reader challenge. A scavenger hunt if you will for those of you who actually watch television. Name as many non-Angry Black women on national television as you can. The woman can be real or a fictional character. You must name the show, the network and the show times.

Just to make this harder, y'all cannot use Oprah as one of your choices. Lurkers, y'all can just email the list. No reason to leave you out.

The person who can name the most non-Angry Black women on NATIONAL television will receive an award.


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Comments

[iman]

Robin Roberts
Fredicka Whitfield
Sherri Shepard (ignorance is bliss)
Tyra (see Sheri Shepard)

Can't think of a single black women on a scripted t.v. show

[roxy]

First of all, I hate to have to make up for other people's ignorance, because he could just as easily watch tv and make up this list, but...

Donna Brazile is a pundit on news broadcasts now, and there are currently 2-3 other black female pundits on PBS news shows.

Whoopie Goldberg isn't angry on the View, and neither was Star Jones. That guy is just speaking off the top of his head and uncritically projecting stereotypes without actually thinking about reality.

um, in fiction, I can think of...the head doctor on Grey's anatomy, Raven Simone and her (fictional) mom on That's So Raven, Tyler Perry's show has a (non-angry) mom, Niecy Nash (on Reno-911 and Clean House) isn't angry, she's funny. The women on The Game, Bernie Mac's wife on his tv show, the wife on My Wife and kids, the women on Girlfriends (in reruns) all are not "angry."

My mother sometimes does the "black female test" when looking for something to watch on tv. She won't stop to watch anything unless she can find an image of a black woman (that image, of course, cannot be degrading).

btw, I don't think Cynthia McKinney is always angry on CSPAN, that's an unfair characterization.

[EmergingPhoenix]

Arggh, Iman you beat me to it with Fredericka Whitfield. That woman is always happy, even when reporting tragedy, there is always a happy glow to her. I love it!! Since I am a CNN junky, I will start there, and add Soledad Obrien. I loved her unconditionally, until I saw her interview of Cynthia McKinney, which I felt was heavily biased.

- Raven Simone
- Rihanna
- Jennifer Hudson
- Kimberly Fields
- Melinda Doolittle(HELLOOO!!!)

Ok, I am going to stop right there, b/c now that I really think about it, I agree with roxy. There are tons of happy bw in media (even if they are obscure or outdated). Entertaining this is like agreeing with the stereotype.

[glory]

tyra banks - "Tyra" daily syndicated and "Top Model" (CW) weekly

lynn toler - "Divorce Court," daily, syndicated

gwen ifill - nightly, pbs

soledad o'brien - daily cnn

rehema ellis - daily nbc

whoopi goldberg, sherri shepherd - daily, syndicated abc

the two black women on "the game" - frustrated with love but not angry, mondays, cw

the young sister on "heroes" and nichelle nichols, who plays her grandmother - mondays, nbc

sis on "gray's anatomy" 'cause she's tough, but not angry - thursdays, abc

isn't gabby union on "boston legal"? bet she's not angry - thursdays, abc

vanessa williams on "ugly betty," evil, but not angry - weekly, abc

niecy nash on "clean house" on um, style network - weekly

b.smith - forgot the name of her lifestyle show, but i think it's still syndicated weekly

debbie allen - judge on "so you think you can dance," weekly, fox

sis on "cold case" - weekly, cbs

sis (khandi alexander, i think) on "csi" - weekly, cbs

sis neely on "down home with the neelys" or something like that on food network, i think weekly

Naming non-angry black women on national TV is as easy as naming any black women on national TV... but I actually didn't find the latter very easy, and I don't think it's just because I don't watch as much TV as I used to. The many black women I remember from TV are mostly off-the-air by now and there haven't been many to replace them. Didn't notice that until I started with this list.

[deborah evans]

Gwen Ifill, host of Washington Week in Review (PBS). She's the epitome of confident, competent cool.
She's already been mentioned in this list--but isn't this interesting: Ifill and Cal Thomas are both journalists, but I guess the ol' boy doesn't consider her a colleague.

[Brother OMi]

Sommore
Raven Simone (i know someone mentioned her)
Aunt Jemima (I know bad choice but you said fictional)
Whoopi Goldberg (already mentioned)
Jill Scott
Patti Labelle
Condoleeza Rice (she's always smiling)

[arthur]

Khandi Alexander (CSI Miami)

[QUEEN]

It is sad that in 2008 a black woman cannot catch a break. There are many wonderful beautiful sistahs on TV, such as Robin Roberts, S. Epatha Merkerson, Tamron Hall, Gina D. Ravarra Khandi Alexander, Marianne Jean-Baptiste,Renée Jones, Christel Khalil and Tia Mowry