Black cartoons and films have played an important role in the world of animation, helping to showcase the diversity and richness of Black culture.
Historically, Black characters have been underrepresented or misrepresented in mainstream media.
These crucial Black cartoons have helped to address this issue.
Following the 70s (Fat Albert, Jackson 5ive, and the Harlem Globetrotters cartoons), there has been a notable dry stretch for Black animation.
This article highlights animated movies & cartoon TV shows featuring Black people in leading or strong supporting roles, and not used as background scenery.
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Let's delve into some of the most notable Black animated shows that have delighted audiences for decades.
Black cartoons have also tackled important social issues that are often ignored in mainstream media.
Cartoons such as The Boondocks and Black Dynamite have used humor and satire to address issues of race, politics and social justice.
In addition to addressing social issues, Black cartoons and films have also celebrated Black culture and history.
Shows such as Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids showcase the diversity of the Black experience and highlight the contributions of Black people to society.
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Until the late 1960s, the only African American characters seen in American animation were all some sort of grotesque stereotype, if they were seen at all.
Early Landmarks in Black Animation
One of the first recurring Black characters in American TV animation is Pete Jones, a supporting character in the 1969 series “The Hardy Boys.”
A show based on “Hot Wheels” also debuted the same year, and featured a Black recurring character.
The following year gave us “The Harlem Globetrotters” (the first American TV cartoon to feature a predominately Black cast) and “Josie and the Pussycats” (featuring Valerie, the first recurring Black female character in American TV animation).
While all of these characters mark major landmarks, they’re also all based on pre-existing properties.
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“Where’s Huddles?” is a Hanna-Barbera series that aired on CBS during the summer of 1970.
One of their teammates is an African American player nicknamed “Freight Train”; as far as I know, his real name is never given.
Freight Train’s not only the first Black animated TV character that’s not tied to a licensed property, but also the first recurring Black animated character on primetime TV.
“Sealab 2020” is a Hanna-Barbera series that debuted on NBC in 1972, airing for a single season of 15 episodes.
One of the Sealab crewmembers is Mrs. Thomas, the mother of main character Ed Thomas.
Mrs. Thomas (no first name given) works as a schoolteacher for the facility’s youth.
“Danger & Eggs” is a short-lived Amazon Prime Video series that ran for one season in 2017.
The show is about the adventures of a girl, D.D. Danger, and her friend Phillip, a giant anthropomorphic egg.
The show features inclusive LGBTQ representation, including Milo, a nonbinary friend of the duo.
Notable Black Animated Shows
Today, we wanted to take a look at the black cartoons, whether adult-oriented or for kids, or somewhere in the very middle.
Make no mistake about it, black cartoons are very rare, so today, we take a look at the most notable.
Not necessarily the best (some of them are), but the most notable.
Fat Albert and The Cosby Kids
Bill Cosby is one of the most infamous names in the entire world of comedy and entertainment for many of the wrong reasons.
He’s also a big proponent of putting good positive imagery out there for black families and kids, and in some way, he’s stuck to that his entire career.
His greatest achievement in the cartoon realm comes courtesy of his iconic Fat Albert series, which had 8 seasons over the course of a 15-year period.
With easily recognizable characters and an extremely playful vibe on the show, Cosby created what’s likely the most popular black cartoon in television history, akin to his creation of one of the greatest black sitcoms in television history.
The Jackson 5ive
There’s no way to mention black cartoons without giving a brief mention to the legendary run of The Jackson 5 and their cartoon.
With their stardom taking off already, the Jacksons would take a Saturday morning cartoon slot and continue to get more popular in the process.
Unfortunately, the group didn’t voice their own characters, but it didn’t stop the show from being entertaining.
The show was essentially the Jacksons version of Josie and The Pussycats, but it’s just much better because, well, it’s the Jacksons.
Harlem Globetrotters
If you’re familiar with the Globetrotters in general, them having a cartoon is honestly interesting, to say the least, but not entirely surprising.
They were growing in terms of popularity, and this would be the culmination of their popularity by getting their own cartoon.
The show itself was one of the first Saturday morning black cartoons (it premiered in 1970), showcasing the talented Globetrotters going toe to toe with villains while still letting their basketball talent show.
It was definitely a great show for kids to watch and enjoy.
C Bear and Jamal
“C Bear and Jamal” ran on Fox Kids from 1996 to 1997 for 13 episodes.
The series is about the adventures of a grade-schooler, Jamal, and his teddy bear, C Bear (voiced by rapper Tone Loc).
Waynehead
Yet another WB series, this one isn’t as great as some of the others on this list.
Damon Wayans presented this character of Waynehead, but the show itself just didn’t work to me as well as it could have at least, despite the Wayans stamp being on it.
It had some really enjoyable moments in the short-lived series and was an engaging series that I’m sure was fun to a number of kids in our community, and that’s what matters the most.
Representation and imagery within entertainment is always vital for the mind of a young child watching cartoons.
Even if the show is created and written by the Wayans family.
The PJs
This Eddie Murphy produced classic was a truly underrated series that would have lasted even longer had it not been so ahead of its time and expensive.
The Stubbs Family was the basis of the show, and their life and times were documented in their neighborhood along with the craziness that surrounded them.
For example, outside of Thurgood and Muriel, we are introduced to the neighborhood crackhead Smokey and also met the children that serve as main characters, Calvin and Juicy.
Whether or not you were a big fan of this show, the stop motion animation style was different, and for a black cartoon/animated show to have this technology imposed was beyond special.
Static Shock
This WB series is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, black cartoons ever.
