Media representation has plagued the black community since before the invention of the television and movie camera. The community has been depicted as lazy, ugly, violent, and all around degenerates. This has been executed for propaganda and entertainment for entities who never tried to understand the experiences of African Americans. Over the years, artists from the community have tried their best to even the playing field.

For decades, Andre Batts has cultivated his own field. The 1980s were a pivotal period for blacks, media, and the country itself. Andre noticed that the stories he read in...