September 2005

During an NBC telethon for Hurricane Katrina relief, Kanye West departed from the teleprompter script to declare George Bush doesn't care about Black people in a nationally televised moment that crystallized widespread anger about the government's response to the disaster and the racial dimensions of its failure.

Chris Rock's semi-autobiographical sitcom Everybody Hates Chris, starring Tyler James Williams and set in 1980s Brooklyn, premiered to critical acclaim and received Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for its authentic portrayal of Black working-class family life.