The Black Sitcom
The Black Sitcom:
A Comprehensive Survey with Critical Essays
1950 – 2000
From controversial Beulah and Amos ‘n Andy in the 1950s to the aspirational Julia in the late 60s, on to the groundbreaking social realism of the 70s with its royal trinity: Good Times, Sanford and Son, and The Jeffersons, the cultural watershed of The Cosby Show in the 1980s, and finally the explosion of legendary Black programming in the 1990s—the five decades under examination in this volume represent the most transformative and prolific periods in Black American television history. Yet in the scholarly canon, many of these programs remain underexamined relative to their cultural significance. This collection seeks to correct that oversight.
This volume invites scholars, cultural critics, media historians, and interdisciplinary researchers enthusiastic about documenting the history of Black television to contribute to The Black Sitcom: A Comprehensive Survey with Critical Essays (1950 – 2000). This collection will serve as the definitive scholarly resource on the history, cultural significance, and enduring legacy of Black American situational comedies from 1950 to 2000. This two-part volume will be characterized by scholarly rigor, accessible prose, and a standardized structure designed for researchers, journalists, critics, graduate and undergraduate students, as well as fans.
General Scope and Structure
This volume will be organized into two distinct parts. Part I includes an exhaustive, chronological catalog and comprehensive survey of Black American sitcoms from the twentieth century, while Part II offers a vital collection of critical essays distinguished by theme and critical approach. Authors may propose contributions to one or both sections of the volume.
Part I: Catalog and Survey
Part I of this volume will feature an exhaustive, chronological catalog of 100 Black and Black-led sitcoms followed by a comprehensive survey arranged in 20 - 25 chapters on the most significant Black sitcoms of the twentieth century.
Tentative Chapter List
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Amos & Andy (1951)
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Julia (1968)
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Sanford and Son (1972)
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Good Times (1974)
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The Jeffersons (1975)
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What’s Happening? (76)
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The Cosby Show (1984)
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227 (1985)
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Amen (1986)
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A Different World (1987)
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Family Matters (1989)
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The Fresh Prince (1990)
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Roc (1991)
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Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper (1992)
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Martin (1992)
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Living Single (1993)
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The Wayans Bros (1995)
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The Parent Hood (1995)
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Moesha (1996)
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The Parkers (1999)
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Girlfriends (2000)
Each chapter will follow a semi-standardized structure ensuring consistency across the volume while allowing contributors intellectual freedom. This structure includes the following:
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Series Overview
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Historical and Cultural Context
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Reception, Impact, and Long-term Legacy
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Key episodes and Narrative Themes
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Full bibliography (as cited in the contribution, Chicago format, 18th ed.)
More detailed instructions will follow with the request for a full submission.
Part II: Critical Essays
Part II of this volume is an edited collection of critical essays addressing a range of themes and topics related to twentieth-century Black sitcoms. The editors particularly welcome proposals that engage substantively with any of the following thematic priorities as related to a specific series or applied more broadly across the entirety of the time frame:
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Race and Representation: How programs navigated, challenged, or reinforced racial stereotypes and the politics of respectability
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Gender and Black Womanhood: The representation of Black women as protagonists, matriarchs, professionals, and comedic leads
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Class and Economic Aspiration: From the projects of Good Times to the affluence of The Fresh Prince — how Black comedies mapped economic aspiration and struggle
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Youth and Coming-of-Age: Programs centered on Black adolescence and their cultural impact on younger generations
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HBCU Culture and Black Higher Education: Particularly relevant to programs like A Different World
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Network and Industry Politics: The business of getting Black shows made, cancelled, or sustained in a predominantly white industry
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Comedy as Resistance: How humor functioned as a vehicle for political commentary, critique, resistance, and survival
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Cross-Generational and Diaspora Perspectives: Comparative analyses across decades or examinations of Caribbean and African diasporic dimensions
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Other areas of scholarly or cultural interest not noted above, such as education, music, popular culture integration, etc.
Proposals
Proposals should be submitted as a single PDF document and must include all of the following:
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Short Bio: A 150-word professional biography
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For Survey Chapters: Submit no more than 250 words summarizing your show choice and rationale or personal interest, along with a writing sample. Please include a 1st and 2nd show choice.
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For Critical Essays: Submit 350–500 words summarizing your title, argument, and significance.
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Simultaneous Proposals: Please submit simultaneous proposals as two separate proposals.
Anticipated Timeline
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Proposal submission deadline: August 31, 2026
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Notification of acceptance: October 5, 2026
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First drafts:
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Survey Essays: 1500- 2500 words : Due: December 7, 2026
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Critical Essays: 3000 – 7000 words: Due January 4, 2027
(Note: a request for a full submission does not guarantee publication in the volume.)
Editorial Expectations and Review Process
The editors welcome contributions that bring diverse methodological perspectives to bear, including but not limited to: cultural studies, Black feminist theory, television studies, postcolonial criticism, performance studies, comedy theory, industry studies, reception history, and audience studies. However, contributions should be comprehensive in their analysis to provide insight regardless of perspective(s) explored. The editors are committed to centering Black scholarly voices in this volume and strongly encourage submissions from Black scholars, scholars from HBCUs, and scholars whose work is rooted in Black communities.
How to Submit
Submit PDF proposals as a single PDF via this Google form: https://forms.gle/zFMWMYfWkQmXmc828
Questions regarding the volume or overall process may be directed to blacksitcomsbook@gmail.com.
Editors
Danielle Lenáe Littlefield, Candice Love Jackson,
Craig A. Meyer, and Krystal Chatman