Hollywood has an inclusivity problem. The entertainment industry has spent decades using Black women as character development tools for white leads, resigning them to side characters that woefully lack the dimensionality they deserve. And in the all-too-rare instances when Black women are cast in starring roles, there's an enormous emotional burden placed on the actors who must find ways to humanize Black female characters that are flattened by stereotypes born out of predominantly white writers rooms.
Furthermore, being messy, flawed, and complicated is the norm among privileged white fictional characters like Serena van der Woodsen on Gossip Girland Brooke Davis on One Tree Hill. They can be wild and crazy for the sake of character development without the fear that they're perpetuating myths about white women off screen. It's about time that Black female characters (and the actors who play them) have the same leeway and breadth of traits to break free from these tired double standards.
The good news? According to USA Today, lead acting rolls played by People of Color on broadcast television grew from 5.1 percent to 24 percent from the 2011-2012 to 2018-2019 television seasons respectively. But even if Black girls on TV are finally showing up as fully developed, complicated charactersinthe way that white girls have always been allowed to be, there is still a long way to go.
Frankly, I'm tired of not seeing my friends' real life stories — their beauty, their romance, and their humor — represented onscreen. That's why it's so exciting when a Black actress gets cast in a role that has been historically white (from Meg in A Wrinkle in Timeto MJ in Spiderman: Homecoming to Ariel in The Little Mermaid).
After so many stories where slavery or violence is the basis for a Black character (like how the first Black American Girl suffers violence as a slave while the other girls' troubles are much less grave), the time for Black girls to see themselves having fun onscreen, falling in love, and, well, making bad decisions for the sake of character development, is long overdue.
The beautiful thing about roles like Meg, MJ, and Ariel is that they give Black girls the chance to get lost in a story that celebrates trauma-free Blackness — they can embrace magic, make mistakes, and explore the ins and outs of regular life. Here are 12 complicated, multi-faceted Black leading ladies who have already made a lasting impact in their boundary-breaking roles.
Our Favorite Black Leading Ladies
Kerry Washington in Scandal
Washington’s Olivia Pope is a D.C. fixer who keeps scandals under wraps for a variety of clients, including the President of the United States. Pope is beloved for many reasons, including the fact that she's an anti-hero instead of a purely good or purely evil character.
Image via Disney+/Disney Platform Distribution
Zuri Reed in National Treasure
Reed's Tasha is incredibly complex in every aspect. She has great humor and takes charge in the group's adventures whenever she needs to. She can also hack her way into just about any system, and does it while wearing immaculate eyeliner and amazing clothes.
Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, and Angela Bassett in Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
The women in Black Panther have redefined what it means to be a superhero. They're powerful, romantic, and incredibly intelligent, proving that you don't have to live your life embracing just one thing.
Image via Glen Wilson/HBO
Issa Rae in Insecure
Insecure follows two best friends: Issa, who works at a non-profit and struggles with the lack of passion in her longterm relationship, and Molly, a corporate attorney who is successful in every area except dating. We love that this comedy is relatable and that it leans into the flaws and humanity of each character.
Raven-Symoné in That's So Raven
There are quite a few roles from Raven that we could include (The Cheetah Girls is still one of our favorite early '00s movies), but That's So Raven is the perfect pick. Not only was it funny and self-aware, but it also tackled issues like racism and body image in ways that its young audience didn't see much of at the time.
Image via John Wilson/Netflix
Janelle Monáe in Glass Onion
SPOILER ALERT: Monáe flips between two characters in this film (which you don't find out until half way through), and her complexity, persistence, and heartbreak is both amazing and satisfying to watch. Not to mention the fact that her character destroys the Mona Lisa, framing the man responsible for her sister's death. Iconic.
Tracee Ellis Ross, Yara Shahidi, and Marsai Martin in Black-ish
We love how this series shows an authentic Black family on primetime TV, as well as the fact that Ross' Rainbow (who's an anesthesiologist), Shahidi's Zoey (who is popular, feminine, and smart), and Martin's Diane (who's smart and witty) turn a lot of expectations about Black women on their heads.
Image via Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix
Madison Bailey in Outer Banks
Because of her grief following John B.'s supposed death in the season 1 finale, Bailey's Kiara makes some questionable decisions in season two. But even when the decisions aren't the right ones, they're a realistic look into pain and processing grief. Kiara is unashamedly herself and isn't afraid of following through on what she believes in.
Taraji P. Henson in Hidden Figures
Not only is Henson's Katherine a mathematician and aerospace technologist (ie: a literal rocket scientist), but she isn't afraid to show real emotion — a scene from the film went viral on TikTok because of its portrayal of female rage.
Image via ABC/Christina Belle
Quinta Brunson in Abbott Elementary
This hilarious and heartfelt sitcom is like honey for the soul — it just feels good to watch. We love the way that it shows every aspect of the characters' personalities, from Janine's (Brunson) spunky attitude to Gregory's (Tyler James Williams) type-A nature. We dare you to watch this show without cracking a smile.
Rihanna in Ocean's 8
Rihanna's Nine Ball is many things: she's a hacker, she's a big sister, and she also looks amazing in red. Eight Ball is smart and scrappy, and knows exactly what she wants. In this case, that includes hacking into the Met Gala and pulling off a $150 million heist.
Image via Disney
Halle Bailey in The Little Mermaid
We're super excited to see Bailey as Ariel this year. This is one princess that isn't afraid to tell the world what she wants, and we know that seeing the romance and music that we know so well at the forefront of this story is going to be a truly magical thing.
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Featured image via Glen Wilson/HBO
