If there’s anything that Black folks will do — we will find joy in celebrating Black culture, Black icons, and Black nostalgia. And if there’s no bigger takeaway from 2020 (besides a global pandemic), then that is exactly how we should remember this year. Because we did that, in the best way possible.
From Verzuz battles with musical icons ranging from Brandy and Monica to Babyface and Teddy Riley, to reliving some of our favorite Jordan moments from the 90s to binging shows with “Strong Black Leads,” 2020 gave us all of the entertainment content we needed and then some. But the biggest winner of them all? The internet — because through all of these moments, Black Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and ClubHouse remain undefeated.
So as we reminisce on the year that has past, here are some of our favorite entertainment moments we fell in love with all over again in 2020.
01
Our favorite Black shows streaming on Netflix
How would we have made it through these last few months of quarantine without the help of some of our beloved Black sitcoms? When Netflix announced that they had acquired the rights to stream Moesha, The Game (Seasons 1-3), Sister, Sister, Girlfriends, The Parkers, Half & Half and One on One back in July, the internet collectively celebrated in joy. If the re-release of these shows showed us nothing else, it’s that being Black never goes out of style (and neither do our icons). No need for Netflix to ask “Are you still watching?” because we are!
02
Black Is King
If you just want to play “Brown Sking Girl,” on repeat we’re okay with that.
03
Black Panther
This year may have taken our “King” Chadwick Boseman due to a private battle with colorectal cancer, but the loss further cemented the role that the film Black Panther will forever play in our Black history. When news broke of his death, the internet flooded pictures with the “Wakanda Forever” salute, reliving Black Panther moments, and of course, children remembering our superhero —a Black superhero. The cultural impact of what Boseman left behind has influenced fashion, music and pop culture for generations to come, and for that, we will forever remain grateful.
04
D-Nice’s Club Quarantine
When’s the next time you’ll be at a party with Michelle Obama, Stephen Curry, Rihanna, Oprah and your closest group of friends? Um… probably never. Thanks to D-Nice, they all came into our living room this year, with his DJ sets that morphed into a regular digital dance party. Depending on the night, you were able to relive your favorite 80s and 90s hip hop, a quiet storm collection of R&B, or even some Afrobeats jams. “I never would’ve imagined that the best party I would create and DJ would be from the comfort of my own home,” D-Nice said in a
heartfelt Instagram post.
05
ESPN’s The Last Dance and 90s Basketball Nostalgia
Do you remember the first time you watched Michael Jordan play basketball? For many of us, revisiting The Last Dance, brought back moments to childhood and of a childhood hero. Spotlighting Michael Jordan’s final season with the Chicago Bulls, the docuseries told the story of the NBA-league dominating team, and its three most prolific players: Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman, had most of us revisit an era that was the nostalgia we didn’t know we needed. Featuring in-depth interviews, never-before-seen footage and a 90s hip-hop soundtrack, we all tuned in week after week to celebrate one of the greatest of all time.
06
Every Verzuz Battle
What bigger moment happened for “the culture” this year than the Timbaland and Swizz Beatz brainchild of its Verzuz mashup? The hip hop moguls facilitated battles between the likes of everyone from Erykah Badu and Jill Scott, to Monica and Brandy to even legendary icons such as Gladys Knight and Patti LaBelle. But not only did we tune in, it also made us revisit some of the music that has lived on for decades. The next thing we’re all wondering: will we get a Verzuz tour in 2022?!
