11.09.2006

Finally, Dora's Not the Only Child of Color In Her Classroom Anymore

Even as a preschooler in the seventies, I was painfully aware of the lack of images of color on children's television. Aside from Franklin – Charlie Brown's boy, the sister in Josie and the Pussycats, Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids and the brief stint that was the cartoon version of the Jackson Five, black animated kids tv characters were basically absent back in the day. I wanted to walk up to that tv with a burnt sienna crayon and color the rest of the Peanuts in.

And I wasn't so sure things were different today, until I spent after a few months of paying closer attention to exactly who was popping into our tv room each day. Much to my surprise, I was delighted find these new friends (who my four-year-old claims to have known for years):

Name: Quincy
Program: Little Einsteins
Network: The Disney Channel
This boy would make DuBois proud. It's too bad his mommy and daddy had to make a fuss so they'd let their baby into the gifted program when child has at least a 200 IQ.
But it was well worth it so rest of us could see the first animated African American intellectual on TV. The program introduces culture and high art to preschoolers at a level they'll understand. Still waiting for some jazz music and a Bearden or two...something (please!). But when my four year old walked into the Philadelphia Museum of Art and correctly identified a Van Gogh, I knew they were on the right track.


Name: Shanna
Show:
Shanna's Show
Network:
Disney
My friend's husband complains about it because he thinks Disney's too racist to give Shanna her own full length show (right now it's an interstitial.) But I'm not mad at it. Shanna's Show is adorable. Along with little brother Shane, Shanna takes viewers with her on a journey through their colorful imagination. I love the way she's so ambitious, often dressing up as a doctor, teacher or ballerina. And just recently, I picked up several adorable Shanna's Show story books (on sale for a buck each at Michael's for some reason, but you'll never hear me complain about that).

Name: Clementine
Program: Caillou
Network: PBS Kids
Clementine is a lot like her best friend Caillou. But with a lot more hometraining.


Name: Tasha, Uniqua, Austin, Pablo and Tyrone
Program: The Backyardigans
Network: Nick Jr.
Okay, now come on. They might not look it, but with names like these, you can't tell me those Backyardigans aren't black. At least three of them. This brilliant program takes children from allbackgrounds on a journey into the kind of fantasy play that happens in every little kid’s mind. They’re epic, musical fantasy adventures, preschool-style, fresh from the minds of three kids whose imagination reaches far beyond their backyards. And the best part is the music, which includes everything from jazz to claypso to hip hop. It's sad when as a parent the only song playing in your head sometimes is the themesong from one of your kid's shows. But it's not nearly as bad when it's this. You can visit with Janice Burgess, sister genius behind The Backyardigans right here.

If your kids are anything like mine, you've known most of these characters for quite some time already. But if anyone was going to give them the props they deserve, it would have to be OKP.

Let me know if I missed anybody!

41 comments:

Anonymous said...

The Backyardigans are pretty cool, and oh yes at least two of them are definitely black. My wife and I often find ourselves laughing at their names - Uniqua and Tyrone - because we both have known people with those names. The show Little Bill should probably be on your list. That's the most black folk I've seen in animated form since Fat Albert!

meera bowman-johnson said...

Thanks, Keith –

I love Little Bill too. He was the first character I thought of when posting this, but when I went to nickjr.com to get the listing times, there were none. Then I realized I hadn't seen the show in a while and began to wonder if they were about to cancel it. So I wasn't sure if he should be on the list or not.

But maybe I should edit this and put him back. After all, he is the OG of this crew. And if Nick Jr. decides to cut him, I'll do a whole seperate post about discrimination on kids' tv. You know I will, too.

Thanks for stopping by.

mrs. j

Lester Spence said...

my wife and i borrowed a car to go to the symphony. why was a backyardigans cd in the player...and why did i BLAST it like i was playing jayz? HOT.

Saige said...

Yes, Clementine is definitely a more well behaved child than Caillou. He doesn't obey very well at all. Sometimes I wonder if he is a bad influence on my little 2 year old (and that old lady narrating gets on my nerves something awful!)

meera bowman-johnson said...

Saige – I agree, that narrator's voice is crazy annoying. But have you heard the narrator on Franklin? I think it's her obnoxious next door neighbor.

Lester – That is too funny. Why do I drop whatever I'm doing when "Riding the Range" comes on...and start kickin it like it's '93??

People are sleeping on this album.

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