Powerful Black Female Bosses Dominating TV
I would like to dedicate this post to the celebration of powerful Black women on TV. There have always been a lot of strong Black female characters, but these days, it seems like so many programs have a strong Black woman as the boss or person in charge.
How to Get Away with Murder: Bad-ass Law Professor
The protagonist of this legal drama is Annalise Keating, a Clinical Law Professor. In front of her law students, she is the stereotypical no-nonsense, demanding professor, but she also has a vulnerable, emotional side that she shows to her lover when she fears her husband to be a murderer. Her charisma attracts over-enthusiastic law students to be her apprentices in handling cases of real clients.
Suits: Stern, Ambitious Partner of Law Firm
In Suits, a legal drama about professional rivalries and slick characters trying to win cases, Jessica Pearson is a rational, super-smart partner of a law firm. She runs the law firm with an iron fist and is willing to put everything-including her personal relationships- after her company.
Scandal: Political Crisis Management Consultant/CEO
A political drama about Olivia Pope, CEO of a crisis management firm and consultant to the White House. She puts on a strong facade in front of her employees but becomes an emotional mess when it comes to her forbidden love- the president of the U.S.
Mindy Project: No-nonsense Head of Department
In this romantic comedy about gynecologists and their love interests, the head of the medical department of the hospital (Jean) is a very strong, gay Black woman. She appears to be very strict, but shows serious concern for the presumed ill mental health of one of the doctors and also encourages the protagonist Mindy to pursue a fellowship at Stanford to improve her career.
Gotham- Police Chief vs. Mobster
In this television series of Gotham when Bruce Wayne is a little boy, Sarah Essen is the Captain of the Gotham City Police Department Homicide Squad and the boss of detectives James Gordon and Harvey Bullock, who investigate the murder of the Waynes. She is a strong character, but a bit of a helpless pushover sometimes in a corrupt city that is run by the mobs, powerful politicians, and dirty cops.
Representing the “bad” side of Gotham is Fish Mooney, an extremely sadistic, sexy gangster boss mama. No one screws Fish and lives to tell the tale.
Castle
Captain Gates, who likes to be called “sir,” is a stark contrast to the police department head in Gotham. She used to dislike Castle, a mystery writer who helps the NYPD solve homicide cases, but has grown fonder of him over the years. She has no problem, however, setting aside her feelings when it comes to work and is extremely professional and well-respected.
State of Affairs
In this espionage thriller, President Constance Payton is the first American Black female president whose son was killed by terrorists. Having served in the Air Force during the Gulf War, she believes in the power of the military.
Bones
Dr. Cam Saroyen, the director of the Jeffersonian, a forensics lab that helps the FBI solve murders, is an extremely intelligent, articulate woman who tries to play by the book but still manages to show empathy and flexibility in how she operates her lab.
