Black Women Leading The Scene

But Why Are We Still Fighting to Take Up Space?

When Black women step on screen, we don’t just show up—we show out. We bring the vibes, raise the bar, and body roles that Hollywood used to pretend couldn't be written for us or played by us.

For years, we were boxed into the same tired tropes—the best friend, the sidekick, the woman who helps the real protagonist shine but never gets to own the moment herself. But let’s be clear: that era is done.

Now? Black women are leading everything. We’re the love interest, the hero, the final girl, the comic relief, and the heart of the story. And the receipts are stacking up.

Here are a few recent receipts of Black excellence on screen that I love, and I'm sure you will too!

Samantha Walkes as Elle Monteiro in Cross

(Prime Video)

A Black woman as the romantic lead in a high-stakes thriller is something I love to see. In Cross Elle Monteiro is savvy, smart, and completely unforgettable. She’s not set decoration either. We get to see her as a fully realized character who adds depth to the story. She was gentle and loving with Alex and held him to a standard at the same time.

Hollywood has spent decades acting like Black women aren’t “love interest material.” Walkes proves them dead wrong. Her character is the kind of woman who draws the audience in and keeps them invested with her timeless beauty and graceful performance. Let's hope we get to see this romance blossom in season two.

Naomi Ackie as Frida in Blink Twice

(Prime Video)

Blink Twice Scene

For way too long, horror and thrillers have treated Black women like throwaway characters. But Naomi Ackie stepped into Blink Twice and OWNED it.

As Frida, she flipped the scriptand I loved every minute of her performance as the clever, resourceful girl we actually wanted to root for. And the way she delivered on expectations is impossible to ignore.

This is the kind of role that forces people to rethink the old, tired horror formulas. No more watching Black women exist just long enough to scream flash boob then get unalived. Watching Ackie hold her own next to Channing Tatum shows that she has the chops to command the screen and leaves no doubt that she deserves the spotlight.

Ryan Destiny in The Fire Inside

(Prime Video)

A sports biopic with a Black woman lead is everything! We saw Halle Berry walk so Ryan Destiny could run. In The Fire Inside, Ryan comes into her own as a character who is fierce, determined, and real. Through a sports story, we see her journey, her struggles, her triumphs and our young girls need to see a full range of emotions on represented on screen.

Sports films love an underdog, and Fire Inside is proof that our stories belong in this space. The grit, the heart and the fight aren't new or seasonal though. We been bringing that energy all along. Were they paying attention?

Meagan Good, Jerrie Johnson, Grace Byers & Shoniqua Shandai in Harlem

(Prime Video)

Harlem Main Cast

Whether it was Camille, Angie, Camille or Tye, Those four ladies were a cast that created a whole mood I fell in love with from season 1.

Created by Tracy Oliver (a black woman) FOR black women, Harlem lets us be funny, messy, brilliant and ridiculous at the same damn time. Meagan Good, Jerrie Johnson, Grace Byers, and Shoniqua Shandai were an ensemble that created the kind of chemistry we all need in our friend groups real talk.

For years, Black women in comedy have been reduced to the loud, over-the-top caricature or the “sassy” best friend. But this show har range. The humor, the chaos, and the emotional depth all belong to us. Unfortunately, right when it was picking up steam, Harlem was canceled. That's a whole other topic though.

Deborah Ayorinde in Them

(Prime Video)

Horror is not my favorite genre to produce or watch. And historically, mainstream horror has treated Black women as an afterthought. But Deborah Ayorinde takes center stage in Them, giving a performance that is chilling, layered, and absolutely remarkable.

Deborah Ayorinde in Them

Horror is a space where Black women have always been "allowed" but we rarely given the chance to lead. Ayorinde set a new standard and raised the bar for sure. She fully embodies the role of Livia, a woman who moves to an all white neighborhood with her family in the 1950s and faces malevolent forces both human and otherwise. Her performance shapes the story and creates episodes that lingers long after the screen fades to black and when I watch that’s refreshing (even if I have nightmares lol)

Jaz Sinclair as Marie Moreau in Gen V (Prime Video)

Jaz Sinclair as Marie Moreau

Black women in superhero stories should be normalized by now yet it still feels revolutionary. Jaz Sinclair plays Marie Moreau in Gen V, a spinoff from The Boys, where she is the clear standout of the series for me. She’s powerful, complex, vulnerable, and real. For me nuanced characters are far more relatable and carry stories further.

Superhero franchises have spent way too long giving Black women supporting roles instead of lead arcs. Sinclair shatters that pattern. Her performance brings depth to a genre that often relies on spectacle over substance, proving that Black women can carry these stories just as well, if not better than their counterparts.

Here's the thing though...

Black Actors Bring the Main Character Energy. As Storytellers, We Have to Bring the Screenplays to Match.

Every one of these performances proves that when Black women take center stage, we deliver. So why is it still a fight to make these roles the norm rather than the exception?

The truth is, we can’t sit around waiting for Hollywood to get it together. The more we write, develop, and produce our own narrative podcasts, series content and feature films, the less power anyone has to dictate when and how we show up.

Black actors are locked in, and ready. Now it's on us as storytellers to make sure the scripts match their brilliance. No more playing it safe. No more waiting for the industry to decide we’re worthy of complex, lead roles. We need stories that let Black women be everything—flawed, brilliant, romantic, terrifying, hilarious, and unapologetically the lead.

Hollywood can drag its feet, but we can't afford to. Every time we create, we have to move like we know it's time to show and prove these stories are a non-negotiable part of our experiences. When we take the reins, we don’t just crack doors open. We blow them off the hinges.

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