A new season of television launches this week with hit shows Empire and Black-ish. The shows are breaking records and barriers with audiences, showcasing narratives of black life in America.
Meanwhile, Viola Davis won an Emmy this weekend for "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series," becoming the first woman of color to win the award.
![](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ccc18ec/2147483647/strip/true/crop/500x500+0+0/resize/880x880!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fsites%2Fwunc%2Ffiles%2F201509%2F360.jpg)
Credit HTTP://LEFTOFBLACK.TUMBLR.COM/
Host Frank Stasio talks with pop culture experts Mark Anthony Neal, professor of African & African American Studies, and Natalie Bullock Brown, professor of film and multimedia at St. Augustine University's about the Emmys, Empire, and the media's depiction of tennis star Serena Williams.