As a biracial individual, I really value realistic and plentiful racial representation in television shows. I myself do not identify as a POC (person of color), I use the term 'biracial' in reference to myself, but I have come to realize that I personally need there to be racially diverse casts in order to find enjoyment in the program's content. I don't see a lot of biracial representation in television, at least not of biracial individuals who aren't half Black and half White (the most common biracial identity in the United States). I don't see a lot of characters on TV who I can point at and say "that person looks like me," or, "that person's racial struggles are like mine." The characters that I often connect to the most are ones who are either racially ambiguous in appearance, and those who are of a non-dominant race (meaning non-white). Characters like Sam White in "Dear White People" or Elena Alvarez in "One Day At A Time (2017)" are the ones whose struggles and passions really speak to me. This piece is the start of a series, so here are my 5 favorite Black protagonists.

Disclaimer: These are just my personal favorite characters from shows that I have watched. I have not watched all television series featuring protagonists of color, and there are certain genres of shows that I am not particularly drawn to. All of the shows mentioned below are either comedies or dramas. I, by no means, claim to be an expert in media representation of any racial group. These opinions are all from my own leisurely viewing experience.

1. Sam White from "Dear White People"

"So because I call it out, racism is my fault?" - Sam White

Sam is a media studies major at a PWI (primarily White institution) who is determined to shed light on racism within her college's campus. Sam is ruthless in her reporting, activism, and protesting, so she will not let even one racially insensitive comment or incident slide. Sam is biracial, half Black and half White, so she experiences a bit of an identity crisis when she begins dating a White guy as a Black activist. There are so many interesting perspectives in this series, many coming from Sam herself, and it is one of my absolute favorites.

2. Andre Johnson from "Black-Ish"

"I love this country, even though at times it doesn't love me back. For my whole life, my parents, my grandparents, me, for most Black people, this system has never worked for us." - Andre "Dre" Johnson Sr.

Andre, or Dre, is one of the funniest characters in history. I love when media breaks away from the stereotypical "Black man = thug" portrayal because that is such an incorrect generalization. Dre is very proud to be Black, and he wants to make sure that his children share that pride. Dre is from Compton and is now living in the Upper-Class Sherman Oaks neighborhood in the - you guessed it - only Black household on his street. I love Dre's drive to make sure that his children are proud of their racial identity while understanding how they got to where they are, both as a family and as POC. There are many issues tackled from various perspectives (Rainbow, Dre's wife, is half-White and half-Black, while Dre is fully Black, and his children are 3/4th's Black). It's also unbelievably hilarious. In just the first episode, Dre's oldest son stated that he wanted a Bar Mitzvah like one of his friends. Dre then proceeded to purchase (questionably) traditional African garb and held a rite-of-passage ceremony for the son, in the attempt to increase his emotional tie to his Black identity. Dre was born in Compton and had never been to Africa, so he has no idea what he's doing, which makes this scene even more hilarious. "Black-Ish" is the perfect balance of educational media content and uncontrollably hilarious comedy. This show is a must-watch.

3. Maxine from "The Carmichael Show"

"It's okay to ask for help." - Maxine

Maxine is another traditionally biracial character, being half-Black and half-White. What I love about Maxine is how she confronts stigmatized and difficult topics head-on. She discussed topics like abortion, religion, and mental health treatment with her traditional and heavily religious (almost) in-laws. I specifically love when Maxine encourages one of her family members to seek treatment for her mental illness - something that is traditionally viewed as taboo in Black communities. Although Maxine is a psychology student at the beginning of the show, she tackles normalizing dialogue about mental health in a Black family, which I really admire. Maxine takes a stance on equal rights for many marginalized groups, but she also faces a bit of exclusion in many groups due to the fact that she is biracial. I really related to Maxine's character because I often feel excluded from my own culture because I look racially ambiguous and I don't fit in as easily as a non-multiracial person would.

4. Jasmine and Jabbar Trussell-Braverman from "Parenthood"

“Baby, you have to respect the fact that I have an understanding on the subject that you don’t, and the fact is, [the n-word] means something different to Jabbar because he’s black,” - Jasmine Trussell-Braverman to Crosby Braverman

"Parenthood" doesn't really have concrete protagonists, the cast is comprised of two older parents, and the four branches of the family are the families of each of their four kids. The 3rd child, Crosby, who is White, has a biracial son, Jabbar, with his partner, Jasmine, who is Black. There are some awesome looks into tough conversations about race and biracial identity when Jabbar gets curious about why his mom has brown skin with brown eyes and black hair, like him, but his dad has white skin with blue eyes and blonde hair. The program takes the audience through a confusing, but an open dialogue between the family members about history, race, biracial, and their own family structure. This scene is extremely moving, as are most aspects of the show.

5. Randall Pearson from "This Is Us"

"The moment I saw you, I knew you were my boy. You weren’t a choice, Randall. You are a fact.” - Jack Pearson to Randall Pearson

"This Is Us," is a newer NBC family drama. This is a spoiler of just the first episode, but Randall is a Black man who was adopted by a White family from birth. His adoptive parents were having triplets, but one of the triplets was still-born. Randall's drug-addict father dropped him off at a nearby fire station shortly after birth, and a kind fire-fighter took Randall to the hospital rather than a precinct in the hopes that he would be quickly adopted rather than put into the foster care system. The show have 4 storylines, 3 of them being parallel. It tells fragments of the story of the parents of the 3 kids, from their love story, to the pregnancy, and then there are scenes of when the children are young kids or adolescents. The shift in time is indicated by a sepia tone being applied to the image. The other three stories that the show tells are the current lives of Randall, and his siblings - twins Kate and Kevin. The show gives good insight into a lot of issues, and some spins it takes on certain issues are not my favorite, but I appreciate seeing these portrayals of various minorities. Randall is by far my favorite character in the show, as a super kind man, but also a sweet teenager, and an adorable little kid who makes your heart melt. Kevin had a lot of issues with his brother growing up, specifically dealing with the differences in how his mother parented him versus Randall. The brothers still have their issues as they get older, but how they work them out is incredible to watch. I also think that the show's depiction of mental health issues in men of color is one that is quite valuable, especially seeing as it is a topic that isn't talked about nearly enough. The way that Randall cares for his biological father, as well as his wife and daughters will absolutely warm your heart. This show can be a hard one to watch, since it deals with a lot of really difficult and emotion-provoking topics, but it's a really good one with some super solid characters.