“Rarely ever get to see that on TV”: When Sheaun McKinney revealed how The Neighborhood changed the representation of African Americans in TV shows

American television has struggled for years with how to depict African American families, defaulting usually to tired tropes or restricted roles. But The Neighborhood on CBS did something different: it depicted a Black family that wasn't centered around stereotypes, trauma, or hyper-conflict. Instead, it offered a new dynamic: a complex Black home in a community that addressed race relationships through tension and comedy.

As Sheaun McKinney, the actor who portrays Malcolm Butler on television, noted in an interview with Urban Magazine, there was something unique about The Neighborhood. When asked how he would describe how his Afro-Caribbean heritage has impacted not just his acting on The Neighborhood but overall throughout his entire career, he responded,

"It’s always there. As an African American artist, my greatest fight is always to humanize African Americans. What I mean is, so much of what you see of us on TV and film is so extreme. You see us yelling and screaming or you see us slap-stick funny and you rarely ever get to see African Americans just be human, with emotions at different levels."

More than a throwaway remark, it spoke to a more significant realignment of how African American life was offered to the masses. Rather than merely appearing in the background or as a supporting character, McKinney's character—and the entire Butler family—had a central, layered, complex function. This realistic portrayal guided the narrative toward inclusion without sensationalism.

Breaking away from stereotypes in The Neighborhood

The Neighborhood is unique in its capacity to capture African American characters in ways that transcend caricature. Traditionally, shows have pushed Black characters aside or stereotyped them as comic relief. McKinney's character, Malcolm, a retired professional football player struggling with what comes after sports, is a real-world, realistic story not often told in detail on mainstream television. Breaking away from cliche tropes makes way for truer storytelling.

Centering African American experiences without trauma in The Neighborhood

What makes The Neighborhood noteworthy is its deliberate choice to show a Black family that is not in crisis but in continuity. The Butler family, headed by Calvin and Tina, is economically secure, emotionally open, and close-knit with their neighborhood. It's a representation that subverts the stereotypical coupling of African American identity and difficulty.

McKinney says this was done deliberately. The characters weren't perfect, but they were authentic, and that alone was revolutionary for a network sitcom.

As per Urban Magazine, he said,

"You see a Black family communicate. You rarely ever get to see that on TV. For me, that’s always the greatest plight for me as an artist."

Dialogue on race, not division

Race is still a central theme in The Neighborhood, but the series handles it through understanding rather than tension. McKinney underscored how the show facilitates dialogue—sometimes painful, sometimes comedic—between two households of differing racial backgrounds.

This dialogue reflects the mundane lives of many Americans, without resorting to didacticism. Far from employing race as a wedge issue, the show investigates it as an avenue of comprehension.

Representation through consistency in The Neighborhood

Representation is not simply about being seen—it's about being seen constantly. Every season, The Neighborhood keeps characters like Malcolm with continuity and attention to detail. McKinney's tenure on the show demonstrates just how uncommon it is for an African American man to be rendered with emotional depth, professional nuance, and development, all without violence or crime defining him.

Black excellence and mundane-ness are made mainstream by the show, something that has been absent from network sitcoms for a long time.

A shift in network television

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McKinney's observations confirm that The Neighborhood did more than deliver laughs. It paved the way for greater representation of African American life, leaving room for other programs to join in. Although representation continues to evolve on television, this sitcom's arrival in primetime programming is a sign of progress.

Also read: The Neighborhood Season 7: Release date, plot, cast, and more about the upcoming season of the sitcom

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