Diahann Carroll in “Julia” (1968-1971, NBC), the first hit television show in America with a black female lead.
Here are the ten black women on television that I have liked the most. This is completely my personal opinion based on whatever I have seen on American television by 2012:
In order of appearance:
1984: Lisa Bonet (sitcom, NBC) – she played Denise Huxtable on “The Cosby Show” from 1984 to 1991 and “A Different World” from 1987 to 1989. She was beautiful! I could watch her with the sound turned off. She also reminded me of me back then: confused, well-meaning but hopelessly self-centered, head in the clouds, ISFP. I liked how she had her own style.
1988: Cree Summer (sitcom, NBC) – played Freddie Brooks on “A Different World” from 1988 to 1993. Kind of like Denise Huxtable but more down to earth and more caring. I loved how she was just herself and did not care what anyone thought.
1991: Ella Joyce (sitcom, Fox) – played Eleanor Emerson from 1991 to 1994 on “Roc”, one of the best shows ever. To me she was like the perfect wife. I loved her voice too.
1991: Regina Taylor (drama, NBC) – played Lilly Harper on “I’ll Fly Away” from 1991 to 1993. One of the most fleshed-out, true-to-life black female characters on American television ever, not that that is saying much. I hated how she had no serious love life – almost like she was a nun or something – but she made up for it by having more of her inner life shown.
1992: Holly Robinson Peete (sitcom, ABC) – I mainly remember her from “Hangin’ With Mr Cooper” where she played Vanessa Russell 101 times from 1992 to 1997. I could watch her too with the sound turned off. I already knew about her in 1992.
1995: Gloria Reuben (drama, NBC) – played Jeanie Boulet on “ER” from 1995 to 1999. She did get a love life! But not a happy one (boo!): her husband was unfaithful and she got Aids!
1996: Michel Martin (news, ABC) – she is now on NPR, but from 1996 to 2006 she was a reporter for Ted Koppel’s “Nightline”. A good reporter and interviewer. I wanted a show for her on MSNBC with Pat Buchanan!
2004: Jennifer Hudson (talent show, Fox) – she came in seventh on “American Idol” in 2004. Even then, before she became famous, it seemed unfair, like strangely so even for a black contestant, like the producers wanted her off the show.
2007: Freema Agyeman (science fiction, BBC) – played Martha Jones on “Doctor Who” in 2007. Loyal, brave, intelligent – and she saved the Earth! What more could you ask for? Well, maybe a love life. She loved Doctor Who, big-time, but he only liked her. Probably the most realistic thing in the whole time-travel-and-space-monster show.
2012: Melissa Harris-Perry (news, MSNBC) – since February 2012 she has been the host of Nerdland, a news show that appears Saturday and Sunday mornings. It is almost like I had my own television show! One time she even had Sean Bell’s widow on her show. You know, like his death mattered or something.
Honourable mentions: Janice Huff (weather woman on NBC in New York, pictured above), Kim Coles, Kiki Shepard, Vanessa A. Williams, Tisha Campbell, Tichina Arnold, Cicely Tyson, Dawnn Lewis, Downtown Julie Brown, Vivian Brown (Weather Channel), Denise Nicholas.
– Abagond, 2012.
See also:
- Kim Coles: This post was inspired by Kim Coles, but she did not make the cut.
- Nichelle Nichols – I admire her greatly but the truth is she was never given much of a part. That is not her fault, she was doing good just to be on television at all back then.
- black actresses
- The most beautiful black actresses
- The Mammy stereotype
- Lisa Bonet
- Gloria Reuben
- Cree Summer
- I’ll Fly Away
- Melissa Harris-Perry
- Sean Bell
- Denise Nicholas
- Law & Order: UK – I saw Freema Agyeman in this show after I wrote this post.
Abagond 
Hey, Abagond this is a good list. Regina Taylor is such an underrated actress. I took notice of her in I’ll Fly Away. You did’nt add Tracee Ellis Ross from Girlfriends. Epahtha H. Merkerson on Law and Order. Khandi Alexander as the medical examiner. Tamara Tunie as the medical examiner on Law and Order.
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Khandi Alexander Miami CSI. That is all.
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Did you actually overlook the fabulous Denise Nicholas of Room 222?
(Maybe you weren’t watching US TV back then?)
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Diahann Caroll is really special
Holly Robinson was on “21 Jump Street”, with Jonny Depp, and she is beautiful
I liked Jada , Will Smith’s wife in “Differant World”
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Interesting you listed Janice Huff in the honorable list. She caught my eye during NBC’s Today show as a stand-in (or on weekends). I also agree about Ella Joyce. Hat-tip to Dawnn Lewis as well. They’re all attractive (listed or not), so its hard to pick.
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THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!
Nichelle Nichols should be added!
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@ Bulanik
I love her when her hair is short. She just looks more beautiful to me with short hair!
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The only reason to watch MSNBC: Tamron Hall. A beautiful woman!This is a very sad clip though. She’s talking about domestic violence and how her sister was killed. 😦
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I’m curious to know what criteria you used in developing this list? Not knocking it or anything. Just wondering how/why some women were chosen, and others were not. I mean, there were some great representations from women who were in shows in the 60s and 70s, and also some older women from today who weren’t included. Nichelle Nichols, Judy Pace, Gail Fisher, Jayne Kennedy, Lynne Thigpen, S. Epatha Mekerson, CCH Pounder, Denise Nicholas, Gwen Ifill, Robin Roberts, Charlayne Hunter Gault, and Regina King, among others. Given that most of your selections are fairly young, and what most people would consider beautiful, I’m guessing your picks have something to do with attractiveness more than anything else? Again, not knocking your list. Just curious about what makes them the best black women ever on TV?
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@ King I agree with you very much. Nichelle Nichols was a trailblazer.
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As far as new reporters go,I think Richelle Carey is one of the best. Second to Tamron Hall of course.lol Here she is in an interview with Janet Jackson.
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@ Abagond
With your exclusion of some one like Nichelle Nichols, as King and several others have pointed out, I too am curious about your subjective criteria for this list.
After all your list criteria is equally just as important as the list itself.
Freema Agyeman is probably one of my favourites on your list and for the reasons you describe. Both Dr Who and James Bond 007 are both typical examples of long standing programs crying out for the change of the lead role as a Black character.
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@ grin and bear it & Kwamla
It is based on what I have seen on television with my own two eyes. Like CCH Pounder seems like a good actress, but I have not watched much that she is in. Or: I liked Lisa Nicole Carson in “ER” but they barely showed her. Some actresses I love, like Gina Torres and Sanaa Lathan, have been on television, but again, I have not seen their shows enough to add them to the list.
Likewise I have not seen enough of these for them to make the top ten: Judy Pace, Gail Fisher, Jayne Kennedy, Lynne Thigpen, S. Epatha Mekerson, Denise Nicholas, Robin Roberts and Regina King. I probably would like at least Denise Nicholas and Regina King if I saw more of them.
Everyone who made the list, even the honorable mentions, are women I saw week after week for at least six months.
I have seen plenty of Charlayne Hunter Gault – I used to see her all the time on the “MacNeil Lehrer Report”. But I thought her reporting was, sorry, sloppy. She never went in for the kill. I think I know why, but I hated it all the same.
Gwen Ifill is good but not great.
As to Nichelle Nichols I admire her greatly but the truth is she was never given much of a part. That is not her fault, she was doing good just to be on television at all back then.
Also, I generally do not go for queenly women. I would put Nichols, Phylicia Rashad and Diahann Carroll in that category. Women seem to admire them because they got it together, but to me they seem remote, kind of icy.
Beauty does play a part but this is hardly a list of the most beautiful. Probably more important is how much I like their personality as presented on television.
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Judging from the list I tend to go for women who are down to earth or whose lives are a mess. So like Lisa Bonet but not Phylicia Rashad, for example.
Black film historian Donald Bogle also likes Lisa Bonet, Regina Taylor and Gloria Reuben. John McWhorter calls them “low-key, dreamy black women” who appeal to those reacting against the Mammy stereotypes
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Hey, you like who you like. I myself admire those Black queens as you call them. Cicely Tyson, Phylicia Rashad, Diahann Carroll, Nichelle Nichols probably best represent the Black actresses that I admire. I like them for the fact that they are dignified and queenly. I get tired of seeing Black women always being portrayed as some low class hood rat. I like to see us with some class for a change. Not saying that the women on your list aren’t.
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Oh yeah, Peanut….Nia Long, Nia Long, Nia Long…actualy you can parade various girlfreinds of the Fresh Prince down the line as stunning presences on TV
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What about CNN’s Isha Sesay? She’s my favourite…
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I love Melissa Harris-Perry! In addition to being a courageous journalist, extremely well informed and a great moderator, I like the way she speaks despite her (adorable) lisp!
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Oh yes, Isha Sesay. Very pretty.
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I have to cosign on Khandi Alexander and add Tamara Tunie to the list of beautiful black actresses on TV. And lets not forget Erika Alexander as well. Mmm, maxine shaw, attorney at law.
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I cannot dig this list, however much I dig you : )
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Freema Agyeman is one of the most beautiful actresses for me, and I’m glad she was on such a popular program as Doctor Who. However, as I hear (I’m not a DW fan, so this isn’t the first hand information), Martha Jones, as brave and amazing as she was, is not really a popular companion.
Sure, some of it is due to audience’s racism but as I understand, her whole story was written sloppily. She came after a well-liked companion and Doctor was still in love with that girl so he only saw Martha as a friend. One would think they rushed through her character just to say there was a black companion so they could move to the “more important” companions.
But since it’s DW, it’s not surprising. The show is known for other types of unfortunate stuff, especially now that Steven Moffat is running it (I could write a novella on Moffat, his ego and his white women tears but I’ll spare you).
Perhaps it’s unfair to judge, since I don’t watch Doctor Who. But I’m a fan of some of his other shows (such as Sherlock) and yes, he’s problematic (for example, in Sherlock, the only recurring POC (and WOC) character is presented as extremely unsympathetic; I mean, WTF?)
But despite all of this, Martha Jones still remains the most beautiful companion.
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SW6,
But wait, was Oprah on TV? I mean, sure she was as a host, but as an actress… ? Am I missing something?
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True, true. My mistake. This makes the list a bit confusing. One would think it’s more about the actresses and their on-screen characters. Who knows?
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I’m showing my “ER” bias, here, but my faves are Khandi Alexan,der (loved her in “Treme,” too, before I downgraded my premium cable channels), Lisa
Nicole Carson and Gloria Reuben.
Beyond “ER,” though, I share with many of your choices, especially Regina Taylor. Absent is PBS anchorwoman Gwen Ifil — ok, I can’t recall the spelling of her surname but she added some *umph* to the “McNeil-Lehrer Report.”
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Fredricka Whitfield is one of my favorites on CNN. A true beauty!
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@ Kushite:
Yes, she is a beauty. So is Tamron Hall.
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@Bulanik I agree with you. Shingai is a real beauty. Under rated in my opinion. And she really commands the stage!
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@Bulanik What can I say? Abagond has nice taste!lol
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Out in Sacramento there’s a female reporter named Ashley Williams. She’s really cute!
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Vimbayi Kajese: My future wife.lol
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Is it just me, or does June Sarpong, except for her gap teeth, look a lot like Fantasia Barrino?! [And no, as the accusation goes, it is NOT because they’re both a similar complexion lol]
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No Nichelle Nichols from Star Trek?
What’s wrong with you, Abagond???
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Bulanik,
In comparing the pics in the links provided in your comment, I have to say that there doesn’t seem to be any obvious resemblance between Fantasia Barrino and June Sarpong. Still, there’s a slight something between them which I’m picking up on….
Maybe it’s their eyes.
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Sorry Abagond, but I have to agree with everyone else that has been shocked to see you not listing Nichelle Nichols. She was in a popular prime time science fiction show, present in every episode I can remember (and some of the best legs I have ever seen), and her chat with MLK about her leaving the show is very well known. It was also one of the first times an interracial kiss happened on T.V. and it was between her and the white captain.
That show has been famous for so long for the simple fact that it had members in its crew from all across the planets ethnic backgrounds and they all respected each other. Culture and heritage were a part of a person, but didn’t decide for them who they would be friends, or lovers, with. The whole series was a monument to how differing people could be a true team and care about each other, despite any personal issues that will come up in any relationship.
That show is where I got my values of other peoples’ worth. Color is useful to describe the visible looks of a person, but they are are still human first and then male or female second. After those basics, you have to learn something about the individuals background before you can actually learn more about them.
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Interesting list. I agree with you concerning Regina Taylor, Holly Robinson, Cree Summer, Gloria Reuben and Dianne Carroll. But you should have also mentioned Phylicia Rashad, Bernadette Stanis, NIchelle Nichols, Rosalind Cash, Kim Fields, Debbie Allen, Janet Dubois, Debbi Morgan, Janet Jackson (while on Goodtimes), Vanessa Bell Calloway, Suzzane Douglas, Vanessa Williams, Elise Neal, Lark Voohies, Kyla Pratt, Reagon Gomez-Preston, Jackee Harry, Marla Gibbs, Irene Cara, Garcelle Beauvais, Victoria Rowell, Tonya Lee Williams, Renee Goldsberry, and Tatiana Ali.
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Janet Hubert is a good one also.
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A few more: Lesslie Uggams, Mary Alice, S Epatha Merkerson, Tamara Tunie, and Lynne Thigpen.
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No offense but everyone you’re list is biracial…not surprising tho since most of the bw on American TV are…
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What about Nichelle Nichols, one of the first black women to appear on tv in an actually important role? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nichelle_Nichols) – in case you aren’t a huge Star Trek nerd like myself and haven’t heard of her…
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Dr Anjula Mutanda – she was alway a pleasure to watch and hear:
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIaL4eAFrtY)
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One of my faves, Ruby Hammer. Ruby is Asian (Bengali parents) and a make-up artist; she would be the one doing the make-overs and skin care on some UK tv shows.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pho-SlRh8gs)
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Abagond,
I’m aware that this article was written at least two years ago, but i am curious about somethings you are saying…
What makes Diahann Carrol and Phylicia Rashaad “icy”, but Gloria Reuben and Lisa Bonet dreamy and the anithesis of the Mammy? According to logic, because they are all Black, physically attractive, slender, feminine and seeming vulnerable, wouldn’t they all be “dreamy”?
Also, “low-key” women do not usually lead “messy” lives assuming you mean women who are flightly and unsure about their direction. In all of the roles i have seen Gloria Reuben play she has been self-assured, independant yet feminine and so has the others except Bonet which is hard to for me to understand your logic.
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Of course, Sara Martins. Simply gorgeous.
Blessed with grace and a lovely speaking voice, Ms Martins is more well-known from French telly, but recently, I saw a clip of her from an English drama-comedy series. Her parents are from Cape Verde.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUZfeQhbQ6o)
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@ phoebeprunelle
Sigh. 😀
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Gugu Mbatha-Raw was great on the NBC show Undercovers. It was cancelled way to fast. But she was the best thing on that show. I think she’s going to be a BIG star in the next few years. She’s a stunning beauty!
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Cynthia Addai Robinson is the definition of gorgeous! She’s on the cable show Spartacus.
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Great list of black queens of television. The power of being on television comes with many benefits, including money and prestige. Esther Rolle from Good Times should’ve been on this list, but I do like that you have Diahann Carroll and Melissa H. Perry. Take a look about the list of queens I wrote about in my new book, “7 Types of Queens, Kings Desire.” This book is going to change the world! Click here >> http://www.7queens7kings.com
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