11 of the Blackest TV Moments of 2016
2016 has arguably been one of the Blackest years in recent media, and we couldn't be prouder. Several of our favorite celebs showed, in their own ways, that being Black is multifaceted. From Beyoncé getting in formation with her Black Panther-style performance at the Super Bowl to Issa Rae showcasing the ups and down of Black love and relationships — and white privilege — on Insecure, here are the 11 Blackest TV moments of 2016.
Beyoncé takes over the Super Bowl, Black Panther-style
When Queen Bey does anything, you can guarantee it will be executed on a grand scale — and what's more grand of a platform than the Super Bowl halftime show? Having performed on the global stage multiple times before, she chose this year to make a huge statement with her pro-Black anthem, "Formation," that got many people up in arms, but many more proud to be Black.
Mary J. Blige gets Viola Davis's kitchen right on 'How to Get Away With Murder'
With prime-time TV superwoman Shonda Rhimes at its helm and the greatness that is Viola Davis as its star, How to Get Away With Murder was only made Blacker and more perfect with the addition of Mary J. Blige as Annalise Keating's hairdresser. Seeing MJB give Davis a weave sitting in the kitchen was pure Blackness.
Dave Chappelle makes his grand return to 'SNL' with Tribe
Dave Chappelle has been out of the game for a minute, but he made his return like he never left with A Tribe Called Quest on what may be the Blackest episode of SNL yet. On the first episode following the shocking election results, the gifted comedian helped put things in perspective for all Americans by pointing out how long Black people have lived under oppressive regimes, but then surprisingly extended an olive branch to the president-elect. Profound TV on every level — and the hilarious skits proved that Dave's still got it.
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Solange Takes 'A Seat at the Table' to 'SNL'
Solange surprised us with one of the Blackest albums of the year (right up there with Beyoncé's Lemonade) and scored her first number-one spot on the charts to boot. In October, she made her Saturday Night Live debut. Watching her perform "Don't Touch My Hair" on a major prime-time network was pretty amazing.
'The Roots' gets rave reviews
The multi-part series, a revival of the landmark 1970s television event, aired on the History Channel this past May and starred Malachi Kirby, Forest Whitaker, Anna Paquin, Laurence Fishburne, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Anika Noni Rose, T.I. and South African actress Nokuthula Ledwaba. It's always risky to remake a classic, especially one that has such a significant place in Black history, but the 2016 version was praised across the board for recapturing the power of the original.
Kendrick Lamar brings shackles and fire to the Grammys
2016 clearly wasn't just a year for amazingly pro-Black music — it was also the year of pro-Black performances. Kendrick Lamar held it down for the male artists, taking the Grammys stage by storm with shackles, slavery themes and more.
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Jesse Williams's powerful words leave everyone else speechless at the BET Awards
It's not often that someone gives a speech so rousing that it's still talked about weeks — months! — after it was delivered. This was the case when Jesse Williams was given the Humanitarian Award at the 2016 BET Awards. "There has been no war that we have not fought and died on the front lines of. There has been no job we haven’t done. There is no tax they haven’t levied against us — and we’ve paid all of them," he said, bringing an audience of millions to tears and applause. "But freedom is somehow always conditional here." Watch Jesse's full speech here.
Prince Gets the Tribute he deserves at the BET Awards
After an underwhelming homage by Madonna (huh?) at the Billboard Music Awards, BET more than delivered on a promise to give Prince the tribute he deserved at the BET Awards. Bilal, Erykah Badu, Jennifer Hudson, Sheila E. and many, many more sang their hearts out in memory of the Purple One.
Lin-Manuel Miranda shouts out hip-hop greats when he rapped his Grammys acceptance speech
Not only does he dominate the Hamilton stage, but he also pays homage to all the hip-hop greats who inspired him for the role. “We write music, we write songs to tell a story / Whether you’re King Kendrick or Jeanine Tesori,” he began the 45-second rhyming verse. “I'm sorry if I start screaming these thanks hysterically: John Buzzetti, Tim Latham, Tom Coyne and Derek Lee.” Lin-Manuel Miranda is definitely the GOAT.
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Pretty much everything about the first season of FX series 'Atlanta'
We all knew Donald Glover was a genius prior to the premiere of Atlanta, but the series pretty much solidified the fact that he deserves more credit than he's given. His show about Black millennial life in Atlanta is funny, captivating and 100 percent authentic. Just a masterpiece.
Issa Rae constantly calls out her white coworkers for their privilege on 'Insecure'
Let's be honest. Pretty much everything about the HBO masterpiece that is Insecure is Black perfection, but there's just something about Issa calling out her white colleagues on their privilege that's just so satisfying.