If you want to watch something other than football over Thanksgiving break but have run out of interesting titles to stream on Netflix, look into the many high-quality, artist-driven stories on YouTube. It’s been six years since Issa Rae’s “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl,” a YouTube-hosted web series that follows call center employee “J” through life’s ups and downs, first hit our computer screens. Many fans of the web series appreciated its honest portrayal of the African-American experience beyond the tropes often shown on network television. Rae isn’t the only talented creative sharing imaginative stories that reflect various aspects of the Black experience. Here are five quirky, Black and binge-worthy web series to check out:
‘The Unwritten Rules’
This web series explores the micro-aggressions and misconceptions Black employees experience in majority-white workplaces. The story centers on a girl named Racey, who arrives at her job and discovers she is the only Black employee in her department. The witty humor and honest portrayal of awkward cross-cultural situations make this web series one you don’t want to miss.
‘Black girl in a big dress’
Dressing up in Victorian-era garments and attending fancy dinner parties is Adrienee’s idea of a fun night out. And while she can take on the world with her petticoat on, life and love are harder to navigate when the costume comes off. This web series follows Adrienee as she tries to figure out how her 19th century interests can fit in her 21st century life. The show manages to be humorous while touching on deeper issues of stereotypes and identity.
‘Broke’
Quinta Brunson’s “he got money” videos spearheaded her rise to fame, but her newest endeavor is all about the lack of money. “Broke” — created by and starring Brunson — centers on a group of recent college grads figuring out how to succeed in the real world despite being broke. If you are a fan of Brunson’s quirky personal videos or her contributions to Buzzfeed, be sure to check out the first episode of “Broke” on YouTube. Watching the next 10 will require a subscription to YouTube Red.
‘GIANTS’
Issa Rae has come a long way from her “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl” days, but that doesn’t mean she has abandoned the platform that allowed her creativity to reach the masses. “GIANTS,” Rae’s newest project, centers around three friends who are willing to do anything to turn their dreams into a reality, no matter the costs.
‘Hermione Granger and the Quarter Life Crisis’
The casting of Noma Dumezweni, a Black actress, as Hermione in the theater adaptation “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” caused controversy among some of the series’ fans, but that didn’t stop director Eliyannah Amirah Yisrael from casting her as Black in her web series “Hermione Granger and the Quarter Life Crisis.” In this story, the now-25-year-old witch has moved to Los Angeles fresh after a breakup with Ron Weasley and is looking to forge a new identity for herself outside of the Wizarding World. And while parts of this series feel more like a young adult drama than a Potter project, it somehow works. After all, even a Black girl with magic will face the ups and downs of life.
