There are very few animated TV shows that have compelling and memorable Black characters at the forefront. In the 1990s and early 2000s, there were Black people dominating the cinemas, live-action TV and animated television. Now that we are 15 years into the new millennium, that small number has become microscopic. Will there be more great Black animated TV shows in the near future? That is unknown, but we can take a look at those who have made an impact on children and adult lives. However, characters like Cleveland Brown of The Cleveland Show will not be featured on this list because he is voiced by a white actor. Also characters from 2000s’ DC Comics shows like Cyborg from Teen Titans, Aqualad from Young Justice, John Stewart from Justice League: The Animated Series, Static Shock and Bumble Bee from Teen Titans and Young Justice have been covered on Blerds before so they won’t be on the list. Moreover, here are some of the most interesting Black animated characters.
The Entire Cast of Proud Family
This early 2000s animated series was created by animator Bruce W. Smith for the Disney Channel. The star of the show was actress Kyla Pratt as high school teen Penny Proud. We followed her misadventures with her friends and wacky — yet loving — family.
The Entire Cast of Fat Albert
Comedian Bill Cosby created this animated show in 1972 when there weren’t a lot of Black animated characters on TV. The series was animated by Hanna-Barbara Studios and it lasted until 1985 with 110 episodes in total.
