Art Beats-Atlantic City Focus Sponsors Panel on Black Male Images on TV
How have Black Men been portrayed on television between the creation of the character J.J. Evans on Good Times and Huey Freeman on The Boondocks?
ATLANTIC CITY – On Saturday, September 20, 2025, as part of the 48 Blocks annual arts festival in Atlantic City, Atlantic City Focus sponsored a discussion that looked at the Images of Black Men on TV.
The panelists included Arts and Entertainment Editor, and producer of The Light radio show, Raymond Tyler. Shawn Wright was also a panelist who is a contributor to Atlantic City Focus and hosts the Soul Revival radio show on 91.7 WLFR. The final panelist was award-winning writer, playwright and poet Elijah Pringle.
The discussion on Black Male Images on TV, focused specifically on the years between the creation of the character JJ. Evans on the TV series Good Times and the character Huey Freeman on the TV series The Boondocks.
The panelist did take time to acknowledge and encourage people to research the TV series Amos and Andy. Film maker Oscar Michaeux was also discussed as an important contribution to Black Male Images.
Although not a TV show, the film Cooley High was also discussed because the panelists became exposed to the Black coming of age film through it's broadcast on syndicated television. Cooley High was also discussed as a inspiration for what would become the TV series What's Happening.
The panel ended with a real talk of the evolution of Black male images from JJ Evans to The Boondocks and the fact that the time was up before the panelists could discuss shows Black-ish and Abbott Elementary.
Art Beats and Atlantic City Focus are indeed however, planning for a part 2.
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GET UP WITH ATLANTIC CITY FOCUS and RAYMOND TYLER
STARTING MONAY, FEB 10th AT 8AM!
