Sitcom Title: Julia
Years Aired: 1968–1971
Stars: Diahann Carroll, Lloyd Nolan, Marc Copage, Michael Link, Betty Beaird
Feminist Focus? A single mother and the first African-American actress to star in her own sitcom.
The feminism of Julia began in 1968, with Diahann Carroll becoming the first African-American leading actress on a sitcom. The plot revolved around Julia Baker, a woman whose husband was killed in the Vietnam War, as she faced the challenges of working as a nurse and raising her young son.
Positive Role Model...Or Ignoring the Issues?
There were disagreements at the time about the impact and focus of Julia. Some praised it for showing a middle-class African-American family; others criticized it for ignoring the turbulent times and the real problems faced in many urban black communities in the United States. Some praised it for its strong, single, female protagonist – a few years before The Mary Tyler Moore Show or One Day At a Time – while others criticized it for showing a fatherless black family.
Breaking Down Barriers
Either way, the premise and plot lines drew some attention to racism and revealed the feminism of Julia. The women’s liberation movement was growing stronger and feminists were looking for images of women beyond the traditional suburban housewife. Julia also drew attention to the struggle faced by many women to find child care.
Diahann Carroll later said that the black female was given more opportunity in Hollywood than the black male, because black men caused fear in the white male hierarchy. She called it a “major event” when the character Julia started dating on the show. Although some activists wanted more radical steps, Julia helped break down racial barriers by focusing on an African-American woman who was not a stereotypical maid or other servant.
As is often the case with 1960s sitcoms, there is dialogue that may seem “corny” a few decades later, but a focus on the pioneering aspects of the show reveals the subtle activism and feminism of Julia.