Black History Month: Top African American Television Characters (Part Two!)

Here's more of TV's most memorable and groundbreaking faces.

Kerry Washington as Olivia Pope - There are many great Black characters on TV.  For Black History Month, BET.com had to give them the spotlight in a sequel (see part 1 here).  As Scandal's designer clothes-clad crisis manager Olivia Pope, Kerry Washington cleans up Washington's most gasp-worthy messes. Also, her character's sizzling affair with the hit drama's fictional POTUS always steams up our TV sets. Washington made small screen history by becoming the second Black woman to lead a network television drama (after Diahann Carroll's Julia), and she now personifies must-see primetime TV. (Photo: ABC)

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Kerry Washington as Olivia Pope - There are many great Black characters on TV.  For Black History Month, BET.com had to give them the spotlight in a sequel (see part 1 here).  As Scandal's designer clothes-clad crisis manager Olivia Pope, Kerry Washington cleans up Washington's most gasp-worthy messes. Also, her character's sizzling affair with the hit drama's fictional POTUS always steams up our TV sets. Washington made small screen history by becoming the second Black woman to lead a network television drama (after Diahann Carroll's Julia), and she now personifies must-see primetime TV. (Photo: ABC)

DCI John Luther (Idris Elba) - Idris Elba stars as detective chief inspector John Luther, a brilliant criminal investigator with a volatile personality. His brash sense of justice is what fuels his determination, but at the same time alienates him from his wife. Get familiar with other characters from the show right here and watch him in action on Saturday at 8:30A/7:30C! (Photo: Courtesy BBC Drama Productions)

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Idris Elba as Luther  - In Luther, Idris Elba portrays a troubled yet brilliant police detective who balances fixing his broken marriage with solving crimes by serial killers. Elba regularly turns in stunning performances and with this gorgeous actor in the leading role, sleuthing has never looked this good. (Photo: BBC Network)

Wendy Raquel Robinson as Tasha Mack - Tasha Mack has redefined single mom-dom in BET's hit series The Game. Wendy Raquel Robinson portrays this unforgettable character as lively, sassy and fun. More of a running buddy and pal for her TV son, it's always entertaining to watch this life of the party try to find her maternal ways. (Photo: Picturegroup/BET)

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Wendy Raquel Robinson as Tasha Mack - Tasha Mack has redefined single mom-dom in BET's hit series The Game. Wendy Raquel Robinson portrays this unforgettable character as lively, sassy and fun. More of a running buddy and pal for her TV son, it's always entertaining to watch this life of the party try to find her maternal ways. (Photo: Picturegroup/BET)

Tichina Arnold as Pamela James - Before she was Chris Rock's fictional mom on Everybody Hates Chris, everybody loved Tichina Arnold as Gina's BFF Pamela James on Martin. Whether trading barbs with Martin about her buckshots, romancing jobless Tommy or having her pal's back in hilarious situations, Arnold's character helped reinvent the role of the female TV sidekick. (Photo: FOX Network)

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Tichina Arnold as Pamela James - Before she was Chris Rock's fictional mom on Everybody Hates Chris, everybody loved Tichina Arnold as Gina's BFF Pamela James on Martin. Whether trading barbs with Martin about her buckshots, romancing jobless Tommy or having her pal's back in hilarious situations, Arnold's character helped reinvent the role of the female TV sidekick. (Photo: FOX Network)

Marla Gibbs as Florence Johnston - BF (Before Florence), Black maids on television were mostly stereotypical, clueless women. After The Jeffersons introduced this iconic character on the long-running sitcom, the TV idea of domestic help was changed forever. Florence's quick, non-stop comebacks to boss George Jefferson provided timeless hilarity that is still funny today. (Photo: CBS)

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Marla Gibbs as Florence Johnston - BF (Before Florence), Black maids on television were mostly stereotypical, clueless women. After The Jeffersons introduced this iconic character on the long-running sitcom, the TV idea of domestic help was changed forever. Florence's quick, non-stop comebacks to boss George Jefferson provided timeless hilarity that is still funny today. (Photo: CBS)

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Harold Perrineau as Augustus Hill - What did a living hell-on-earth maximum security TV prison like HBO's Oz do to help balance the madness of life behind bars? They added a poetic young griot named Augustus Hill to navigate audiences through the jungles of incarceration. Each episode, Perrineau helped to remind viewers to see the humanity of  the series' prisoners. (Photo: HBO)

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Harold Perrineau as Augustus Hill - What did a living hell-on-earth maximum security TV prison like HBO's Oz do to help balance the madness of life behind bars? They added a poetic young griot named Augustus Hill to navigate audiences through the jungles of incarceration. Each episode, Perrineau helped to remind viewers to see the humanity of  the series' prisoners. (Photo: HBO)

Eartha Kitt as Catwoman - Two other actresses also had the role of Batman's Catwoman but none was more memorable than Eartha Kitt. The singer, actress and dancer purr-fected the role by bringing sexuality, wit, feline playfulness and soul to a superhero villian that hasn't been seen since. (Photo: ABC)

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Eartha Kitt as Catwoman - Two other actresses also had the role of Batman's Catwoman but none was more memorable than Eartha Kitt. The singer, actress and dancer purr-fected the role by bringing sexuality, wit, feline playfulness and soul to a superhero villian that hasn't been seen since. (Photo: ABC)

Audra McDonald as Dr. Naomi Bennett - Audra McDonald's Naomi, of Shonda Rhimes' Private Practice, is one of the most complex characters to arrive on TV in a long time. She is a founding partner in a wellness clinic, but she has to balance working with her ex-husband (Taye Diggs), being a mom and trying to find a dating life. (Photo: ABC)

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Audra McDonald as Dr. Naomi Bennett - Audra McDonald's Naomi, of Shonda Rhimes' Private Practice, is one of the most complex characters to arrive on TV in a long time. She is a founding partner in a wellness clinic, but she has to balance working with her ex-husband (Taye Diggs), being a mom and trying to find a dating life. (Photo: ABC)

Malcolm-Jamal Warner as Theodore Huxtable - On The Cosby Show, Malcolm-Jamal Warner's Theo helped to reimagine the TV son and brother in sitcoms. He was the schoolgirl crush of a generation, earnest, hard-working and flawed, but always respectful. Warner's characterization of Theo embodied multicultural America's boy next door. (Photo: CBS)  

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Malcolm-Jamal Warner as Theodore Huxtable - On The Cosby Show, Malcolm-Jamal Warner's Theo helped to reimagine the TV son and brother in sitcoms. He was the schoolgirl crush of a generation, earnest, hard-working and flawed, but always respectful. Warner's characterization of Theo embodied multicultural America's boy next door. (Photo: CBS)  

Kim Fields as Regine Hunter - Most actors don't get a chance to be known for two iconic roles. But after The Facts of Life, Kim Fields got to reinvent herself on the small screen as Regine on the popular sitcom Living Single. Known for her man-hungry ways as much as for her ever-changing wigged-out hairstyles, Fields proved she was multi-faceted at being funny. (Photo: FOX Network)

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Kim Fields as Regine Hunter - Most actors don't get a chance to be known for two iconic roles. But after The Facts of Life, Kim Fields got to reinvent herself on the small screen as Regine on the popular sitcom Living Single. Known for her man-hungry ways as much as for her ever-changing wigged-out hairstyles, Fields proved she was multi-faceted at being funny. (Photo: FOX Network)

Brandy as Moesha - Brandy's Moesha broke ground for TV teens in the '90s. For five seasons we watched as the title character had to juggle issues of a blended family, premarital sex, race relations and the death of a parent. Plus, on the style-front, Brandy helped to bring braids back as a glam hairstyle for a whole new generation. (Photo: UPN Network)

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Brandy as Moesha - Brandy's Moesha broke ground for TV teens in the '90s. For five seasons we watched as the title character had to juggle issues of a blended family, premarital sex, race relations and the death of a parent. Plus, on the style-front, Brandy helped to bring braids back as a glam hairstyle for a whole new generation. (Photo: UPN Network)