The conversation around diversity has been intensifying lately, making everyone think about its importance in all areas of life. One recent topic of discussion? The iconic 90s sitcom Friends.
Quinta Brunson, known for her role in Abbott Elementary, recently pointed out Friends for its lack of diversity. While hosting Saturday Night Live, Brunson used her monologue to highlight the absence of Black characters in the beloved show.
Brunson contrasted the diversity on Abbott Elementary, which features the lives of teachers in a predominantly Black, state-funded elementary school in Philadelphia, with the noticeable lack of diversity on Friends. The difference was strikingly evident.
With her well-known wit, she joked: “I wanted to be on SNL back in the day, but the audition process seemed long – so instead, I just created my own TV show, made sure it became really popular, won a bunch of Emmys, and then got asked to host. So much easier, so much easier.”
While the audience chuckled, the underlying point was clear. Brunson continued, “It’s a network sitcom like, say, Friends. Except, instead of being about a group of friends, it’s about a group of teachers. Instead of New York, it’s in Philadelphia, and instead of not having Black people, it does.”
Her playful commentary sparked serious reflection, even from Friends co-creator Marta Kauffman. Kauffman has publicly expressed embarrassment over the show’s lack of diversity and pledged $4 million to support African and African-American studies at a university.
“I’ve learned a lot in the last 20 years,” Kauffman admitted. “Admitting and accepting guilt is not easy. It’s painful looking at yourself in the mirror. I’m embarrassed that I didn’t know better 25 years ago.”
She added, “It took me a long time to begin to understand how I internalized systemic racism. I’ve been working really hard to become an ally, an anti-racist. And this seemed to me to be a way that I could participate in the conversation from a white woman’s perspective.”
The discussion around diversity is far from over, but it’s clear that the conversation has advanced—even for a cherished sitcom like Friends.
Man Saves Pennies For 45 Years and Rakes In a Fortune
He entered the bank while a dolly followed in his wake. Everyone looked at him at once when the sound of the coins was heard.
The coin master, Otha Anders, served as a supervisor for the Jackson School Board. He was the one to whom suspended children were sent, and they grew to love him.
Anders’s spouse and children were by his side throughout, but he had a somewhat dubious interest.
Something that began as a fun project developed into a passion, almost like an obsession.
Anders thinks that God is teaching him to be thankful with every penny he finds. He nearly always found a penny on the days he didn’t pray. He felt that was how God was directing him to express his gratitude.
Anders was a man of faith, thus he said prayers on the penny when most people would just wish for anything.
“I came to believe that finding a misplaced or dropped penny served as an extra divine prompt to always express gratitude,” Anders stated to USA Today.”There have been days when I have neglected to pray, and almost without fail, a misplaced or dropped penny has appeared to remind me.”
He kept them in five-gallon plastic water jugs for forty-five years. He surmised that he had hundreds of thousands of dollars stashed away, but he would soon find out.
The staff members had a great day trying something new when they carried the gallons to the bank. They used an ax and hammer to chop the pennies out of the water bottles. They had a number after five hours of chopping and counting on the coin counter.
Anders had saved $5,136.14 in pennies over the course of 45 years! That comes to roughly 114.4$ annually. In forty-five years, who would have imagined that a pastime of collecting pennies might result in a “old car”?
Anders, however, used his money to pay off a recent dental bill.
He was glad to put the money toward a worthwhile purchase. He used the remaining cash to support a family vacation and church donations.
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