Stay Connected
Atlanta Black Star/Entertainment
EntertainmentTelevision

‘Black-ish’ Spin-Off Wins Praise for Accurate Portrayal of College Life

Posted byBy Kiersten Willis | Published on: CommentsComments (0)
yara shahidi grown-ish

Yara Shahidi’s portrayal of Zoey, pictured, resonated with viewers. (FreeForm)

The highly anticipated “Black-ish” spin-off, “Grown-ish,” debuted on FreeForm Wednesday, Jan. 3 and viewers were delighted. Starring Yara Shahidi as Zoey Johnson navigating her way through college at Cal U. Much like its parent series, the two episodes focused on real issues β€” including drug use.

While the first episode primarily focused on Zoey meeting new friends and taking an oddly timed drone night class, the second one explored her struggle to balance her social life and classes. When it comes down to the need to concentrate on writing a 25-page paper, Zoey buckles down and pops anΒ Adderall. And while it doesn’t work out so well with the paper, she managed to drop $3,000 on shoes before nodding off. Still, the blue pill helps her get the job done with the paper the next night.

As such, depiction on both episodes won praise from college-aged viewers who felt it accurately depicted university life.

https://twitter.com/steelei824/status/948729479903498245

https://twitter.com/Cgaski3/status/948733249345544192

Yara Shahidi In the News

Zendaya and Yara Shahidi Don’t Want to be the β€˜Only Versions of Blackness’ In Hollywood

‘black-ish’ Star Yara Shahidi Dishes On Plans for Spin-Off Now Named β€˜Grown-ish’

Black Women in Hollywood are Ready to Take Control of Their Image: Will the Industry Let Them?

But ahead of the season premiere, folks expressed their displeasure with the overwhelming representation of light-skinned Black stars.

https://twitter.com/tylasade/status/948381813319356416

https://twitter.com/wanestal/status/947998015465443328

https://twitter.com/SWEETSONES/status/948902578942816256

In December, one person even said they won’t tune into the show because of Shahidi’s apparent racial ambiguity.

https://twitter.com/darfucius/status/940925517703925760

Shahidi didn’t let the criticism fall on deaf ears. She addressed the tweet head-on on her own account.

https://twitter.com/YaraShahidi/status/941218444115976192

Democracy needs journalism it can trust.

This election season, the stakes are higher than usual β€” and so is the pressure on newsrooms to soften their coverage, stay quiet, or just disappear. Independent reporting, the kind that answers to readers instead of advertisers or political pressure, matters more in a moment like this, not less.

For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed independent and reader-funded. We have no corporate owner and no shareholders telling us what to cover or how to cover it. That independence is also our biggest vulnerability: nothing protects it except readers choosing to fund it directly.

Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under in a moment like this, it's rarely the independent, reader-funded ones that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Give once Give monthly Support another way

Related Stories

Back to top