What Took Y’all So Long to Celebrate the Bubbly Black Girl?

Lately, when I see trends on the internet, I roll my eyes because, first of all, I get tired of everyone overusing the same words and recycling the same pictures. Excuse my bitterness; I am still reminiscing on the “demure” phase.

Source: giphy.com

Most recently, I stumbled across an Instagram post from Tyler, PhD, about the gripes people had with *Abbott Elementary* protagonist Janine Teagues. Apparently, someone said they could not get into the show because of the character’s “aloofness.” How interesting. Janine’s quirkiness is not new, as there has been a whole slew of Bubbly Black Girls who have graced our screens and dominated the world.

I watched Abbott Elementary, and it was Janine’s character that kept me interested. What makes her even more genius is how intentionally the character was created.

Speaking on Janine, Quinta Brunson said,

Black audiences have so few representative characters on screen, and Black womanhood alone is so touchy.” She continued, “So when a lot of women were seeing Janine not present as they wanted her to, that became tough — and I understand it.

That intentionality brought up something bigger: the annoyance some people seem to have with bubbly Black women and the stigmatization they face, often being labeled nerdy, “too white” or “proper”. This concept is nothing new. Still, in a time when more people are deciding not to shrink themselves, regardless of race or gender, the so-called “nerdy” lane seems to be taking a turn for the better. And I am here for it!

The Celebration of the BBG

Turning Bubbly Black Girls into the acronym “BBG” feels so fitting — and honestly, so bubbly of me.

I am here for this kind of representation because this is my tribe.

I grew up in the late ’80s and ’90s, and one of the first BBGs I encountered was Cherie Johnson from *Punky Brewster*. She was just as wild and unique as Punky, and she wore a headband like it was required because the day ended in “y.” Whether it was the character, the actress, or both, Cherie Johnson gave all the outrageous little girls a sense of belonging.

Cherie Johnson: Joyful, different, and completely herself — long before the world learned to celebrate it

BBGs are the girls and women who do not fit neatly inside a box and would rather build their own box — or say, “to hell with the box” altogether. Back when I was growing up, you either kept beating your own drum or you shrank yourself into what was considered normal.

I have written several articles over the years about how ostracized I felt for “sounding like a white girl” or being criticized or teased for feeling deeply about almost everything. In sixth grade, I met my first BBG in-person who is still one of my closest friends to this day. The difference between her and me was that she kept beating to her own drum, while I slowly shrank as I moved into adulthood.

The beauty of that friendship is that, around her, my most outrageous self always came back out. She reminded me of who I was at my core. Yet whenever she was gone, I shrank again. It was a choice, because why would I want to be mistaken for being “too happy”? Back then, that logic made sense to me. Today, it’s more like — why do I need a reason to be happy?

My Bubbly Self in High School

Because life is all about balance, the world needs a variety of women: the diva, the boss, the ride-or-die girl, the demure girl, the nonchalant girl, the pessimist posing as a realist, the mama bear, and of course, the BBG to round it all out.

What always puzzled me was why other types of girls were simply allowed to be who they were, while the BBG was the one expected to change. Even on TV, she was often the sidekick — the girl others turned to when needed — while her own feelings were downplayed, dismissed, or laughed off. She was useful when there was use for her, but mostly she just coexisted with her thoughts and adapted to being overlooked.

These fictional characters were often the ones who got apologized to at the end of the sitcom, right before the sad music played and the credits rolled, only to be discounted again in the next episode.

Source: giphy.com

In the 90s, there was Synclaire James, played by Kim Coles on *Living Single*, another BBG I saw living out loud. What made Synclaire stand out was that she lived among women who were completely different from her, which, as I said before, created balance. She would “woo, woo, woo” her way through life, float in her own energy, and never be afraid to be herself. And what makes it even better is that Kim Coles seems to be a real-life BBG, too. I live for her energy. Back then, she made little girls feel okay with being different while still presently carrying that message.

Source: giphy.com

Over time, I have watched BBGs move from side characters to more dominant roles, and I love seeing the world start to roll with their antics rather than resist them. One of my earliest college memories was watching Issa Rae’s *The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl* on YouTube and falling in love with how deeply it resonated with me. She pretty much lived in her head. She was unapologetically awkward, yet life was still working out for her. Men were still interested. She still took up space. She fully expected to put her foot in her mouth, and somehow that made her even more lovable and relatable.

To My Bubbly Black Girls, I Grew Up To

To the BBGs I have experienced on and off television: thank you for making it acceptable to be different.

You were the woman who was colorful in both personality and wardrobe. You were never afraid to stand out, and that is probably part of the reason I own very few black-and-gray clothes now. You were seen as overdressed, overemotional, and overly zealous about the smallest things. For you, a new day with sunshine was another chance to experience the beauty of God’s earth.

To the women I have already named, I extend my gratitude. But let me not forget Kim Parker, played by Countess Vaughn on *Moesha and [The Parkers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Parkers); Lynn Ann Searcy, played by Persia White on [Girlfriends](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girlfriends_(American_TV_series)); and Spirit, played by Sicily Sewell on [One on One](https://television.fandom.com/wiki/One_on_One)*. Y’all are MVPs!

To All of My Bubbly Black Babies, Girls, and Women

In this era, I hope you celebrate yourselves even more. And if you already do, then good. You always deserved to.

Please never shrink yourself to fit into someone else’s category. If you ever feel that pressure, let this be your reminder not to fold. Most importantly, as BBGs continue to trend, there will be more BBGs coming out of the woodwork.

Let’s welcome them. Let’s lie on the sidewalk with them while they bask in their newfound glory.

I am grateful for the Janines of the world, who fit this mold and wear it proudly. Stay motivated to be different, and most of all, remain your bubbliest.

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