This year marks the 20th anniversary of The Boondocks animated series. It was a political force (a cultural phenomenon) that will never be duplicated.
The series brought to life the controversial, cutting and conscious comic that graced newspaper comic sections for years before jumping onto the screen. What better way to celebrate The Boondocks at 20 than to share the series’ most memorable moments? Hell, you could argue that the show’s opening (“I am the stone that the builder refused…”) was a moment in and of itself. Huge shout-out to Boondocks creator Aaron McGruder and the entire cast, especially ancestor John Witherspoon, who voiced Robert “Granddad” Freeman.
“The Boondocks pretty much represents my life’s work to this point. Huey, Riley and Granddad are not just property to me. They are my fictional blood relatives.”
Aaron McGruder, Boondocks creator
Check out the list. Then go back and re-watch this still-relevant classic series.
Top 8 moments
Uncle Ruckus performs an exorcism
“Stinkmeaner Strikes Back”
“Reverend Father” Uncle Ruckus (no relation) is called in to perform an exorcism on the Freeman’s neighbor, Tom DuBois, who is possessed by the ghost of Stinkmeaner. Stinkmeaner, by the way, has returned to seek revenge on Granddad for killing him during their fight in a mall parking lot. During the exorcism, the anti-Blackness of Uncle Ruckus is on full display. Before Uncle Ruckus walks into the room where DuBois/Stinkmeaner is literally causing a ruckus, the rent-a-priest pauses to reflect on the energy he’s feeling emanating from the space. He then says, “There’s powerful niggedry at work here.” And that’s the least anti-Black thing Ruckus says. Oh yeah, this episode, Stinkmeaner Strikes Back, opens up with a scene that arguably could be on this list – The Boondocks breakdown of “A Ni@@a Moment.”
Pause
“Pause”
In this episode, which was arguably The Boondocks’ most controversial (which is saying something) because of its obvious parody of Tyler Perry, multiple scenes should be considered for any Boondocks’ best-of lists. Trust. But for me, it’s the one that added “Pause” to the Black lexicon. To this day, you can hear Blackfolk saying “Pause,” and everybody in earshot knows what’s up.
Riley’s teacher breaks down the N-word
“The S-Word”
When the Freemans find out that Riley’s teacher, Mr. Joe Petto (if you know, you know), uses the N-word in class, they decide to sue. While being grilled by school district higher-ups, Petto tries to explain his actions from his perspective. It’s the explanation for me. And apparently, for a lot of other folk. That clip of Petto’s HR review is one of the most viewed and reviewed clips in The Boondocks’ history. Shout out to the voice actor for Mr. Petto, the late-great Fred Willard.
Huey’s movie review of Soul Food
“The Itis”
This episode centers on the restaurant Granddad opens. As with just about any episode of The Boondocks, The Itis has multiple scenes considered for this list: 1) Huey breaking down the patterned destruction of Black communities, 2) the cook in Granddad’s restaurant breaking down the connection between enslaved food and modern-day soul food and 3) every Ed Wuncler interaction with Granddad. But the best of them all is when Huey tries to convince Granddad that his food is killing Black people by delivering a pinpoint-accurate movie review of the Black classic Soul Food. You’ll never see that movie in the same light.
A Christmas special?
“A Huey Freeman Christmas”
Confession. This episode is one of my all-time favorite Boondocks episodes. So, it’s hard choosing one signature moment. Riley becoming the Santa Stalker. Riley writing that letter to Santa, Charlie Brown Christmas-style. Actually, all of the Charlie Brown Christmas shout-outs throughout the episode. Huey’s teacher colonizing the Kwanzaa principles in the most colonizing way. Huey demanding a contract to allow him full creative control over the Christmas play. Huey working with Quincy Jones, Denzel Washington and Angela Bassett to produce the play, “The Adventures of Black Jesus.” Let’s just count the entire episode as a top Boondocks moment. I mean, who saw a Boondocks Christmas special coming?
Huey prays
“The Passion of Reverend Ruckus”
From season 1, episode 1 of The Boondocks, Huey lets the world know he’s an agnostic at best. As a revolutionary, he can’t get behind anything he believes smells of the oppressor’s control. This episode finds Uncle Ruckus (no relation) creating and heading an even more anti-Black religious movement than the world’s real-life anti-Black religious movements. Huey is predictably disgusted, but gives it little attention as he is focused on freeing a wrongfully convicted death row inmate, Shabazz K. Milton-Berle. With Shabazz just days away from being executed via the electric chair, Huey goes all-out to “Free Shabazz,” or at the very least, get the governor to stay the execution. In one of the most powerful moments of the entire Boondocks series, as Reverend Ruckus is reaching his preaching peak, daring God to strike him dead if Ruckus’s anti-Black message is BS, Huey walks alone, in the rain, in the dark, and does what he’s never done in the series—prays. He prays to God to work a miracle when and where none seems possible, on behalf of Bro. Shabazz. It’s a powerful double-crescendo moment that will leave even unbelievers saying, “Amen”!
MLK’s other great speech
“Return of the King”
Folk lost their minds when they heard The Boondocks resurrected MLK, who, in The Boondocks universe, woke from a coma in the early 2000s. There’s so much in the episode that deserves attention. But the show-stopper of show-stoppers found MLK stepping to the mic at an empowerment rally that had devolved into a mini-Freaknic. MLK then delivers arguably the exact words Blackfolk needed (and still need) to hear.
Riley speaks truth to mob power
“The Fundraiser”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMx8wxDa-1w&rco=1
The Fundraiser is one of the smartest, most on-point episodes of this or any other animated series. It’s that good. But what makes this episode unforgettable is the moment of moments. After Riley (always the wanna-be gansta) and his kindred spirit Cindy McPhearson (a blonde-haired white girl who matches Riley in wanna-be gansta energy) take over the City’s (Woodcrest) candy fundraiser racket, the mob pays the two a visit and threatens them for poaching their territory. When resistance to the mob seems futile, and the best route for Riley and crew is obviously to shut down operations, Riley, let’s just say, goes a different route; one where he tells the head mobster, between f-bombs, “My president is Black and my lambo is blue, ni@@a.”
Epilogue
And I haven’t even mentioned The Trial of Robert Kelly, Thugnificent, A Pimp Named Slickback (Katt Williams) or the dynamic duo of Ed Wuncler III (Charlie Murphy) and Gin Rummy (Samuel L. Jackson). The Boondocks had so much and gave it all to its audience on the regular. Pause.
