Despite his history of controversy, writer, cartoonist and producer Aaron McGruder has always had a strong connection to Black politics and culture. He has also consistently stated that he "doesn't give a (expletive) what White people think."
Graduating with a degree in African American Studies, McGruder was heavily inspired by Black conscious music artists such as Public Enemy, X-Clan, and Poor Righteous Teachers. And while he contemplated becoming a Black nationalist spokesman at one point, he decided to take a more non-traditional route and become a political cartoonist.
McGruder created a comic strip called The Boondocks in 1996, which followed brothers Huey and Riley Freeman and their biting social commentary, and sometimes unpopular opinions, on race and politics. People both loved and hated it – but things didn’t stop there.
The comic strip was syndicated into a TV show in 2005, and continued to include iconic and unapologetic moments about prominent Black figures, institutions and life in general.
McGruder, who has admitted to being purposefully provocative, said his desire was to create a show people found both funny and insightful – inviting them to think more critically about race.
McGruder pushed boundaries that allowed the Black experience to be viewed in more ways than we thought possible. Sometimes going against the norm can spark new perceptions of Black life and expand upon the ideas of what we can create and envision.