It is Black History Month (it’s almost over) and the national urge to immediately consume Black trauma content has begun. You may know what I’m referring to. Roots, 12 Years a Slave, and Fruitvale Station are excellent films however they are stories that exhibit Black suffering. Plus, let’s be honest, they are not the most lighthearted watches.

Life for all of us has been pretty rough from the start of 2020 to now, so let’s bring a different kind of energy to this year’s Black History Month (not Black Future Month, we have enough to deal with Kanye). Here are some shows made by Black creators that speak to the joy of our experience.

Abbot Elementary

Apart from being a show led, executive produced, and created by a Black woman, Quinta Brunson, it’s extremely funny and well written. This show came out the gate with a fully-realized cast, stellar mockumentary-style comedy, and a deep insightfulness regarding public school education. It follows Janine Teagues, a second-grade teacher, teaching at a school notorious for high staff turnover. The show exhibits a deep optimism in trying to educate students and future leaders while also keeping it real with a deep understanding regarding the constraints and barriers teachers work under. Typically, it takes sitcoms a few episodes or even seasons to really hit their strides. Some may compare this show to The Office, but even that show had to work out its kinks in its first season. Comedies also live and die on where the show itself is set. A Different World had Hillman, Fresh Prince had Bel Air, and The Cosby Show had a warm home with an unknowingly problematic patriarch. All memorable settings for a story (all the shows on this list have this). Abbot Elementary has the titular school, and it immediately provides a comfy and surprisingly familiar location and a strong sense of place. Brunson recently appeared on Jimmy Kimmel and revealed that the “Abbott” in Abbott Elementary is in honor of her 6th-grade teacher. I kinda want to be a teacher now… but with good pay.

Available on Hulu

2. South Side

Taking place on the south side of Chicago, this show follows Simon and Kareme who recently graduated from community college and are ready to start life-changing careers. Unfortunately, they end up stuck at a dead-end job with RTO, a knockoff Rent-A-Center. I can’t even lie, this show had me hollering every single episode. Simon and Kareme are always cooking up some ridiculous scheme in order to hustle upward. From selling mild-flavored meatballs to selling a wave gel that accidentally attracts bats at night. The jokes come a mile a minute with very little room to breathe. Some of my favorite comedies exist just to be purely funny, this is one of them. Written and created by Bashir Salahuddin and Diallo Riddle, the show is filmed on location in Englewood, Chicago, and boasts phenomenal supporting casts that bring their A-game to every scene they are in. When one character, that hails from the civil rights era, yells, “f*ck Corretta Scott King” (context is key here, so you should watch this show) I absolutely lost it. That’s just a drop of the chaotic and hilarious energy this show has on full display, all while being a love letter to Chicago.

Available on HBO Max

3. Woke

Keef Knight is a Black cartoonist on the verge of making it big. He prides himself on being light and avoiding controversial issues in his comic strips, but when he’s racially profiled he starts to see things differently. A bit more “woke” I might say (sorry). You may think that this is another thing rooted in Black trauma but Woke uses the situation we all know too well to propel its story into the interesting, funny, and daring territory. Examining how being “woke” can change your outlook but also your relationships and even career moves. There are animated and surreal elements that I won’t spoil here that color more humor into the show. Lamorne Morris, from New Girl, leads a stellar cast that brings memorable characters to life that embody the conflicting and messy conversations we have about race. With excellent cinematography, writing, performances, and the perfect amount of outrageousness this show flew under the radar but definitely is worth a shot for a sit-down and watch. The show takes place in San Francisco, and the show uses its location and sense of place incredibly well. Also, Clovis, played by T. Murphy, steals every scene that he’s in. He’s also short, sorry ladies.

Available on Hulu