The Paley Center for Media is hosting its annual celebration for Black History Month, an immersive pop-up exhibit titled Paley Center’s Salute to Black Achievements in Television.
This exhibit, sponsored by Citi, will display the creative and influential Black icons throughout the decades of television history and will take place through Sunday, Feb. 27 at the Paley Museum. Paley Center’s long-standing tradition of recognizing and celebrating Black and Hispanic success within television is a way to honor differences within media and entertainment.
“We are proud to celebrate Black History Month and honor the legacy of some of television’s most renowned and iconic Black on-screen talent, creatives, and influencers, and their significant contributions to culture and society,” Maureen J. Reidy, President and CEO of the Paley Center, said.
One of the goals of Paley Center has been to educate the public about the importance of diversity within the entertainment industry.
“Over the past nine decades, no other medium has affected American culture as much as television, and the contributions made by programs that featured Black characters and stories have been among the most notable,” Saladin K. Patterson, Executive Producer/Showrunner for The Wonder Years, said.
The month-long event will include various activities for all ages to participate in—such as the display of costumes and props from “The Wonder Years,” spotlighting the 50th anniversary of the sitcom “Sanford and Son,” “Queen Sugar’s” collection of Aunt Vi’s prized pies and diner scene, with an opportunity for visitors to sit in an actual booth from the show.
“Queen Sugar is one of the longest-running drama series featuring a Black family on television,” Paul Garnes, Executive Producer of the show, said. “With great intention, we have brought to life specific experiences of family, joy, love and what it is to be Black in America throughout every episode. We are thrilled to have Aunt Vi’s Prized Pies and Diner included in the Paley Center’s celebration of Black History Month.”
Along with these hands-on activities, there will also be videos that highlight the theme of Black History Month, Black Health and Wellness, by the history of television’s history coverage of important subjects, one of them being the impact COVID-19 has had on the Black community.
The event will also have trivia questions about characters in television shows and a family-friendly educational program that includes arts and crafts for children while screening shows like “Doc McStuffins” and “That’s So Raven,” “The Redd Foxx Show” and “Soul Train,” “Soul!”, for older children.
“We thank Citi for their generous support of the Paley Center’s presentation of Salute to Black Achievements in Television, as we continue our commitment to increasing awareness and educating the public on the importance of diversity and representation on television,” Reidy said.
Tickets are free for members, $20 for adults, $16 for students, teachers, seniors. Veterans and first responders and free for children under 12. For more information about the event schedule, please visit www.paleycenter.org.
