The entrepreneur NeNe Leakes has learned that she has been recognised by President Obama’s National Museum of African-American History and Culture.
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Built to offer the world a wider look at the accomplishments of African-Americans, the museum was opened today with the support of attendees Oprah Winfrey, Will Smith, Harry Belafonte and Michelle Obama.
What they found upon entering one of its presentations?
A short piece on African-American mannerisms and vernacular which recognised Leakes’ popularisation of certain phrases and unforgettable one-liners via the TV series ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta.’
Comical?
Far from it.
For, though what goes on in ‘The Real Housewives’ may be trivial, its impact on Pop culture has been monumental.
Following the demise of the African-American led scripted shows which reigned in the 90s, the TV landscape did very little to showcase the diverse lives of real people of colour.
Then came the affluent NeNe and ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta.’
For the first time in television history, the world was given access into the lives of middle class women of colour whose human realities stood far removed from the scripted and often one dimensional portrayals of black women presented beforehand.
All of this is easy to take for granted today in a world filled with ‘Empire’s, ‘Scandal’s and ‘How To Get Away with Murder’s.
With this in mind, the museum’s decision to recognise Leakes’ place in Pop culture makes perfect sense.