Black history month is a time for us to commemorate and celebrate the contributions to our country made by African Americans. In this time of celebration and recognition, a rising black female entertainer is making her mark on American media.
Philadelphia native Quinta Brunson got her start in the entertainment world back in 2014, when she created the, “The Girl Who’s Never Been on a Nice Date.” Her series went viral on Youtube and Instagram, and since then, Brunson’s content has reached the screens of millions of people. Her online success has allowed her to acummulate a following of 2.5 million and counting, across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Youtube. After becoming a viral sensation, Brunson attracted the attention of Buzzfeed, where she landed a job as a producer (abc.com).
Not long after, Brunson sold two web series as a development partner with BuzzFeed Motion Pictures, a scripted comedy in which she produced and starred in,“Broke” and for YouTube Red “Up for Adoption.” For her performance in “Broke,” Brunson was nominated for Best Acting in a Comedy at the 2017 Streamy Awards (abc.com).
Brunson parted ways with BuzzFeed in 2018 and her widespread career as a writer, producer, and actor really started to kick off. She wrote and sold a multicam comedy pilot alongside Larry Wilmore and Jermaine Fowler for CBS with ABC studios. She’s also appeared on ABC’s “Single Parents” and The CW’s “iZombie.” Brunson has also worked on several more projects, including Adult Swim’s “Lazor Wulf” and season four of Netflix’s “Big Mouth” (abc.com).
Most recently, Brunson has created her very own ABC sitcom, “Abbott Elementary.” The show is a workplace comedy set around a group of teachers working in a predominantly black and brown public school. It’s shot in mockumentary style and us viewers are told the film is about underfunded public schools. The show stars Brunson who plays Janine Teagues, a people-pleasing second-grade teacher with an optimistic attitude.
Last month at the Golden Globes, “Abbott Elementary” won big. The show won three of the five Golden Globes it was nominated for, including best television comedy series. Brunson’s co-stars of the show, Tyler James Williams, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and Janelle James won best supporting actor/actress in both comedy or musical television series for their roles. Brunson won best actress in a comedy or musical TV for her character Janine Teagues and became the second black woman to win Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series (inquirer.com).
The show was inspired by Brunson’s middle school experience and her favorite teacher, who inspired the show’s title, Ms. Abbott. Alongside making viewers laugh, Brunson states, “Should teachers be working purely off donations? No, they should get what they need from the schools, from the school districts, from the government. But in the meantime, I think it’s wonderful if people are called to action from this show” (latimes.com).
