Kenya Barris' #blackAF unintentionally reveals his real struggle: That he only values the opinions of white audiences and critics

The Muse

"Approval from his own community is meaningless if it isn’t couched in white validation," says Cate Young. "It explains why his television shows are all about 'blackness' instead of about black people. In his mind, there is an essential way to exist as a black person descended from American slavery, and his television shows have all been about teasing out the limits of those boundaries. It often feels as though Barris is operating from a scarcity mindset. He is one of a handful of successful black creators working in Hollywood right now, but he behaves as though he is still on the outside looking in. His response to that creeping imposter syndrome has been to act as a cultural ambassador who demystifies the black community to the white majority. If he achieves this, then he can position himself as an essential translator between the two groups and guarantee some longevity in the industry. The problem with that is that black people are not particularly hard to understand if you care to do so. Black writers, directors, singers, and creators of all kinds have been translating their black experience for decades. Black canon exists and has always existed, but it takes reverence and respect to fully access it. With his television shows, Barris tries to circumvent white America’s own hegemonic laziness by spoon-feeding them a culture they only value when they can sell it. Barris can explain himself to white audiences until he’s blue in the face, but it will never resonate with them in the long term because they have no non-commercial interest in letting it."