I Am Tired of Being the Black Best Friend

Popular media must elevate Black stories instead of perpetuating racist stereotypes

“Like countless characters before her, Jolene occupies a space common in media with a primarily white cast: the Black best friend… The role provides emotional support to the main character and serves as comic relief (the “sassy Black friend”) while creating the appearance of diversity until audiences tune in to the homogeneity of the rest of the cast.” — Jared Giles

Writer Jared Giles examines the Black best friend trope through the lens of Netflix’s new series The Queen’s Gambit for An Injustice! Read the story in its entirety below.

I Am Tired of Being the Black Best Friend