I created African Booty Scratcher because I needed to write an original pilot to have as a writing sample, and it’s always best to write what you know. I chose to shoot and upload a trailer for African Booty Scratcher because I saw the success of people like Issa Rae (Awkward Black Girl) and Justin Simien (Dear White People) who created their own content and uploaded it for the masses to consume.

One piece of advice my mentor and Black-ish creator Kenya Barris gives to writers is to never stop telling your story. African Booty Scratcher is mine. From my time on Black-ish, I learned that you can simultaneously tell culturally specific stories and appeal to universal themes. As I meet white parents who say their daughter is just like Zoey or their son reminds them of Junior, I realize it’s possible for a white couple to say their son is just like someone named Ayodeji or their daughter reminds them of someone named Olamide.

The title has sparked some discussion. In the vein of Black-ish and Fresh Off the Boat, I wanted to name the teaser something a bit provocative. I may or may not have been called an “African Booty Scratcher” in elementary school. And I may or may not know many other people who have been called that as well. The aim is to take something negative and poke fun at it in a positive way.

You can watch the trailer below and check out the Kickstarter here.

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Damilare Sonoiki

Writing since May 2016 · 1 story contributed