*Just what we need. Yet another show telling us what it’s like to be black in America. And this one comes with an eye-rolling title.
24-year-old Damilare Sonoiki, writer for the hit ABC TV show “Black-ish,” is launching his own comedy series that explores being black in America, and he needs your help. His series, “African Booty Scratcher,” follows a Nigerian family who struggles to find their place in the U.S. while teaching their son traditional cultural values, theGrio reports.
“The biggest thing I’ve learned from “Black-ish,” like the central premise…is that you’re taught to give your kids more than you have but in giving them more, what do they lose?” says Sonoiki. “The immigrant story is that exact same situation.”
Sonoiki’s own life experiences as a Nigerian-American who grew up in a violent Houston neighborhood inspired the show. After graduating from Harvard, he spent some time working on Wall Street before moving to Los Angeles to become a writer.
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In an interview with theGrio’s Natasha Alford, he talks about his show’s controversial title, the greatest lesson ‘Black-ish’ taught him and how ‘African Booty Scratcher’ could break down existing divisions between Africans and African-Americans. He also says that he’s learned there’s more to being black in America than simply working your way up the economic ladder.
“Sometimes people try to reduce it to immigrant work ethic…but there are certain structural things that limit opportunities,” says Sonoiki.
Check out the show’s pilot trailer below and donate to the Kickstarter campaign here.
Meanwhile, “Blackish has been renewed for a third season. Rolling Stone’s December 4, 2014 issue called it “one of the only new network comedies worth watching,” praising in particular Laurence Fishburne’s performance. Anthony Anderson’s performance was also met with critical acclaim, earning him a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.
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