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The New Huxtables?
Last year, we all saw the CNN special spearheaded by Soledad O’Brien, that gave an “inside look” at the Black family as it currently stands in America. We saw black single fathers, married folks, college bound children, and struggling single mothers, all of whom we could identify with on one level or another. If nothing else, the series showed that the black family, contrary to popular belief, takes all shapes and sizes.
Fast forward to now. Aside from people not believing that black folks do get married and raise children together, the unthinkable has happened. There is a Black family living in the White House. Yep. Its official. We done made it.
I had a conversation a little while ago with a well-read black man, and we were talking about the black family as seen on TV. When I was growing up, we had the Huxtables, the Banks’, and the Winslow’s. Older generations had the Jeffersons. And while my home didn’t have a consistent father figure, I knew that the two parent home existed, at least on TV.
The media often gets some of the blame for the way black folks operate today. Hip-hop videos and music often get a lot of blame for the way women are treated and allow themselves to be treated. Men’s attitudes toward monogamy, or being fathers to their kids are justified in song and practice. The evening news is often filled with stories of the suspect who fits the description of my younger brother, or co-writers of this blog. Or images of that man being killed by the boys in blue.
But now, television is filled with stories about our black president. There are images of him and his family are all over the front pages of magazines and newspapers. While there are no new shows currently in production that present an image of the black family (ok, Tyler Perry’s House of Pain arguable counts), I wonder how current generations of young kids view the image of the black family on TV. True while we were growing up, the broken homes may have been our reality, but I escaped by watching Fresh Prince, or the Cosby Show. Nowadays, these shows are syndicated at night when kids should be asleep.
Are the images and reality of Michelle and Barack enough to inspire people (black and white) to reconsider what the black family looks like, or can be? Are people more hopeful about the possibility of a successful marriage? I know one thing; Michelle has given the tall black woman hope. True, I am taller than the average man with flats on, as is Michelle. But she has made it ok to marry a man who may be a little shorter than me when I wear my pumps. 
But for real folks. Do you think that a new standard has been set for the black family? People claim that the media can negatively influence people (which it does). Can it also have the reverse effect? Here is CNN’s take. What are your thoughts?
Sowhatiff - The Other Six Foot Sexy (in My Pumps) - Jenkins
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Growing up I loved shows like the Cosby show and Family Matters. House of Payne, to me holds no comparison to either show and the generation behind mine really doesn’t know what they’re missing.
While I think its great to see a wholesome black family like the Obama’s getting so much press, I don’t think that ONE family is going to be enough to set a precedent. I hate to burst anyone’s bubble but people need to stop blaming the media for all their problems.
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Sowhatiff Jenkins Reply:
February 16th, 2009 at 10:01 am
“I hate to burst anyone’s bubble but people need to stop blaming the media for all their problems.”
Agreed. Unfortunately though, there something real to said about the media’s hold on folks, for better or for worse. Some people just don’t know how to filter the BS or snap out of the trance.
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I think the presence of a Black President and First Lady in office absolutely makes a difference in how the presence and/or potential of the Black family is viewed. IMO, that positive impact COULD BE the most meaningful thing Obama winds up doing in office.
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IMHO, i think that havin a black family does make it more fashionable for folk to get married. I dont think it will effect the ppl who dont get married and have kids. I have notcied that folk are taking care of the kids more than they ave been in the past. what do u think about that?
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Wonderful blog. I am a reporter currently working on a story called the “Huxtable Effect”- how does the prominence of the Black first family alter diverse perceptions of the Black family unit and social mobility? I personally think it will have a profound effect on future generations of Black children who will have an alternative role model, or super-hero, if you will. Barack and Michelle make the prospect of an ivy-league, glamorous. They make education cool– It is certainly a departure from the current pop-culture preoccupation with gangsters, pimps, and ho’s in their varying visual forms. We don’t realize it but the generation that grew up watching the Winslows, the Banks, and the Huxtables are the young generation that voted Barack into the white house. There could be a connection there. Nevertheless, this blog is a wonderful talker for Monday morning.
best
esh
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Sowhatiff Jenkins Reply:
February 16th, 2009 at 10:00 am
Thanks! We try to switch it up every now and then
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I would love to read the article (or see the report) after you’re finished.
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ayesha Reply:
February 16th, 2009 at 11:14 am
it should air in march, during sweeps (when ratings are being monitored). Hopefully it will be uploaded to my stations website and I’ll gladly share.
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I do think that the Obamas have ushered in a phase (especially among black folks) where love is in vogue. It’s been awhile since the media has embraced a loving, functional couple in the public sphere. But I think the Obama example is most beneficial for the generation of black children growing up now because the Obamas will serve as their “Cosbys.” And there is unfortunately a generation that missed out on that example.
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Sowhatiff Jenkins Reply:
February 16th, 2009 at 10:02 am
Like my little sisters. I’m gonna ask them about this today and see what they say.
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Good point. I had never thought about how we don’t have any TV shows showing that today. I don’t really think House of Payne counts but to a small percentage of us simply because how many people have a crack-head parent who leaves, steals your stuff etc…I dunno sometimes it’s just a little too over the top.
But then…sometimes the Huxtables, Banks, etc were a little too perfect. In fact, the Winslows seemed the most realistic to me.
As for the Obamas, I don’t think they are going to be able to single-handedly change the way the black family is looked at. Though, they are going to give it a good run. Furthermore, I think they are going to be able to give the multi-racial and multi-cultural family a good look…Did anyone have a chance to check out everyone at the Inauguration? It was like the UN
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When I think of the Obamas as the new Huxtables, I imagine them doing hella fun things like singing Night Time (Is The Right Time) by Ray Charles on the White House steps (I mean, for real, wouldn’t it be dope seeing Sasha lip-synching, “Babaaaaaaaay!”).
As much as I wish for the new first family to singlehandedly erase notions of the negative Black family image, it’s gonna take something bigger and a longer time for that to happen. Look at how ingrained our negative image is in society. It’s like the same theory with racism. It takes a bit longer to erase brainwashing than it does to inject it.
However, as with racism, the Obamas are that one step. It’s great to see the image we have in the media of Black Love and a positive Black family is a real-life one. It’s better than having a fictitious family on a TV show that represents the Black family. We actually have a real Black family on TV all day. And in the most powerful position in the free world. Loves it so much.
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I agree with your post. The First Family has definitely inspired black people about what black marriage/family looks like, in varying degrees.
However, I think a lot of people are putting TOO much stock in the Obamas. When I hear people saying that President Obama has restored their faith in black men, I really find that hard to believe. Do you not know any black men/women/families in your personal life that are functional? On the other hand, the Obamas might be such an inspiration because we don’t know them personally. We only know their image as the “perfect” family.
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I agree that the media does play a part in children’s perceptions of their race and themselves. I’m actually currently doing research on it now that I’m in grad school. However, I think we need to make sure our children (and grown folks) can distinguish what is real and what isn’t. Even though the Cosbys are positive, they are fictional characters. We need more people in the media who are real, like the Obama family, so that children can look up to them. We need more positive real life images in our everyday lives to serve as mentors for ourselves and our children. We all need to remember that we must initiate the change that we want to see
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Seattle Washington Reply:
February 16th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
I agree. While this new generation didn’t grow up watching the Cosby’s, Family Matters or even Fresh Prince, I think it’s much more powerful to see a real Black family in action.
While those shows provided a paradigm, the Obamas show that a successful Black family is actually a reality.
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Growing up watching shows like The Cosby Show and Different World and any other show that you could name with positive Black cultural images didn’t empower me in any way because for me, like most television shows and sitcoms especially, it was just entertainment.
Once I turned about five years old and realized that there were not REAL little people inside my grandmother’s television, those shows ceased to be real life for me.
Growing up in a small, rural and predominantly white country town in North Florida, I had few, if any, positive Black real life role models to look to. It has took me more than 30 years to learn lessons of life planning and finance that many others learned much earlier in life.
It has been through an instinctive sense of self preservation, dumb luck and grace and mercy from my Creator that I have not built walls that I could not tear down or burnt bridges that I could not find ways back across stream. I am grateful that the mistakes of my 20′s that I have had to spend my 30′s correcting were not those that left me too far back, too far behind or way too broken to overcome.
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Sowhatiff Jenkins Reply:
February 16th, 2009 at 7:45 pm
::shakes head in agreement:: I hear that
Be on the look out for a post about the latter part of your comment.
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This seems to be a hot topic. Two parents in Black households is the norm and is not abnormal. I grew up in a two parent household and most of my friends while growing up did too. Unfortunately, the media has only shown one side for so long that our people have come to believe the negative hype. Yes, single parent families are out there, but there are just as many two parent households. It’s about time that people see a wider view…it’s just sad that it seems foreign to them that when I read articles, the writers are quick to compare two parent households to a fictional show–The Huxtables.
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