Representation creates inspiration. When someone is represented in a way that allows them to feel seen or heard, then inspiration will soon follow. And in the words of Nipsey Hussle, “The highest human act is to inspire.” I fully believe in artistic expression, so I enjoy most television shows that have great storytelling, regardless of the content. I even find myself often enjoying shows that sometimes portray Black men as trigger-happy and emotionless gangsters, if the story is intriguing. Actually, The Wire is one of my favorite shows of all time. But when you have a show like The Wire, it’s equally important to also have a show that portrays Black men with honest jobs and more emotional intelligence, which is the way the vast majority of us really are.

So, instead of complaining about it, I decided to create a television show that represented myself and the men in my life in a way where we felt seen and heard. Johnson, on the Bounce TV network, is a show that Thomas Q. Jones and I produced to offer that balance. I wanted to create characters that were like my close friends growing up. It’s a show that’s entertaining and relatable, but also has social and cultural relevance.

The question I asked myself is, how can I leave a lasting impact on audiences and help push the culture forward? The answer to that question is that I had to create characters that felt authentic and familiar while sparking conversations about topics important to our community. We wanted to create characters that reminded audiences of their own circle of friends. The four Johnson men are diverse in their way of thinking, approaches to life, motivations and economic status. They also represent a large portion of Black men in some way, shape or form.

Thomas and I get messages all the time from people telling us how much they can relate to a character or how a particular scene on the show helped to change their perspective or even their life. One individual wrote to me and said the show inspired him to not be afraid to go to counseling. Another wrote that the show inspired him to develop a better relationship with his father. Those viewers felt seen and heard and therefore were able to be inspired. That’s a good feeling.

Another way we work to push the culture forward is to make sure we’re aware of the representation of Black men and women on the show, as well as embracing the responsibility of tackling controversial conversations with authenticity. Some of the subject matter in season one ranged from mental health, divorce, spanking your children, gentrification and politics. In season two we raise the stakes. We deal with classism, the call for more Black men’s responsibility to protect Black women, organized religion, the myth of absent Black fathers and much more. The goal is to debunk stereotypes and offer perspectives that the audience didn’t think of.

I was inspired to write this editorial after seeing a Procter & Gamble commercial that featured a young boy on the football field playing catch with his father. In the commercial, the little boy said, “I got hands, I’m gonna go pro.” The father supported his son in that moment but also challenged him even further. He told him to “go long” for a pass. The little boy ran down the field anticipating the pass from his father. During his sprint, before eventually catching the ball, the little boy ran past a brain surgeon, sports agent, painter and astronaut whose hands were all just as important as any athlete’s. The father then told his son that he can play for a professional football team, but he can also buy a team. This led the boy to understand he can be anything he wanted to be. The little boy was highly inspired, and so was I.

I’ve never seen highly effective target marketing towards little Black boys such as that. One thing I know for a fact is that many people are a product of their environment and are sometimes completely unaware of how far they can go in life. I was fortunate enough as a kid to do theater, which allowed me to travel across the country and gain rich experiences. These experiences taught me the world was bigger than my neighborhood, and I knew I wanted more at a young age. I want all youth to be afforded the same opportunity to have a choice in what they want to do in life without having to settle and accept the hand that life dealt.

So, that is what we try to do with our show, Johnson, on screen and behind the camera. Thomas and I love to give youth an opportunity to expand their creative palette by showing them that Black men and women can star in a show, but we can also be the 1st AC, editor, writer, transportation captain, caterer or executive producer, such as ourselves.

I remember we were filming in an apartment complex for season two of Johnson and two curious kids stood at a distance watching us for hours. Thomas invited them over to the set, sat them in the director’s chair behind the monitor and explained to them the process. My hope is that they were inspired by that moment, and maybe one day those kids will have their own television show too.

Season two of ‘Johnson’ can be seen on the Bounce TV network.

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Deji LaRay

Writing since July 2022 · 1 story contributed