Black-ish is a sitcom about Johnson family, an upper-middle-class African-American crew in Los Angeles. It dives into social and cultural stuff through their daily lives. Witty writing, great cast and stories that hit home make it a fan favorite. You’ll laugh, you’ll think and maybe even go, ‘Wait, is that me?’

Meet the characters from Black-ish

Dre

Oh man, Dre is that big, loud, prideful dad who thinks he’s the architect of the modern black family (and sometimes he is), but he’s also just a guy who buys too many suits and over-explains jokes. He’s a workaholic with a midlife-crisis streak—there’s that dramatic moment where he tries to be cool and fails spectacularly but then somehow owns it. Constantly correcting everyone’s pop culture references while secretly humming the wrong theme song, he’s equal parts ego and heart. He’ll lecture you about responsibility and then binge a whole season of trash TV at 2 a.m., glaring at the screen like it offended him personally. And yes, he will absolutely do a ridiculous dad-dance at important family events, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Rainbow

Rainbow is the steady, unflappable force—smart, accomplished, the kind of mom who has a plan and three backup plans, but who also secretly hoards art supplies and fuzzy socks. She’s a doctor (or was? no wait, she’s a therapist—okay both sometimes in my head), the moral compass who says “let’s talk about this” and meant it before breakfast. Calm and fierce at the same time, she’ll cut through Dre’s dramatics with a single look and then bake cookies for peace like it’s totally normal. Slightly dramatic in low-key ways—yoga at midnight, reality-TV side-eye—and somehow she collects houseplants and life lessons in equal measure.

Zoey

Zoey is the dramatic, bright-eyed older sister who’s always auditioning for something (or at least posting about it), and she’s equal parts glue and glitter for the family. She’s endlessly dreaming—Broadway one second, influencer the next—and also bafflingly grounded when it counts, like she’ll help you with an emotional meltdown and then Instagram it (don’t tell her I said that). Big personality, big hair, bigger ambitions, and she’s constantly redefining herself which is both exhausting and thrilling to watch. She shops thrift but owns at least three statement shoes that she swears she’ll “wear for forever,” and sometimes she actually does.

Junior

Junior is awkward in the most charming, painfully sincere way; a nerd who can be either poet or total disaster, depending on the day and which socks he wore. He’s sensitive and introspective, forever analyzing feelings and also falling down stairs like a cartoon, which makes him oddly lovable. Loves art and comic books, sometimes over-thinks everything, and then does something surprisingly bold because his heart gets ahead of his brain. He claims to hate competitiveness but will absolutely defend his weird opinions like a tiny, reluctant gladiator.

Jack

Jack is the tiny chaos agent—literal toddler energy bottled into a human who will steal your heart and also your snacks without remorse. He’s adorable, mischievous, and wise in flashes; sometimes he’s a deep, unimpressed little philosopher and other times he’s a howling hurricane at bath time. He keeps everyone on their toes with nonsensical observations that are somehow profound, plus an obsession with dinosaurs or trucks that changes weekly. One minute he’s babbling, the next he’ll give you the most meaningful hug of your life, like he planned it.

Diane

Diane is the fierce, socially conscious middle kid who reads more than she sleeps and will call out injustices before breakfast—she’s sharp, witty, and slightly terrifying if you’re on the wrong side of a debate. Precocious and principled, she’s into activism and art and quoting things nobody asked her to quote, which is adorable and intimidating at the same time. She’s organized but also scenes-of-creative-mess, like Pinterest meets protest sign workshop in her room. Sometimes she’s quietly affectionate and sometimes she’s delivering a monologue like she’s auditioning for class president, and honestly both are equally Diane.

Pops

Pops is pure old-school charm with a million stories (some of them possibly embellished), a candied-sweet demeanor, and a flair for dramatic advice that somehow works. He’s a gentle trickster—one minute he’s handing out life lessons, the next he’s sneakily feeding you candy and cracking a joke that makes you cry-laugh. Keeps weird collectibles, speaks in aphorisms, and will randomly break into song for reasons he refuses to explain; he’s like a walking, slightly confused poem. Sharp when he needs to be, forgetful in hilarious ways, and absolutely the kind of grandparent everyone wants around to dispense wisdom and pastries.

Charlie

Charlie is the charming friend-next-door with a laid-back swagger and a surprising emotional depth, the kind who’s casually stylish and maybe too good at espresso. He’s funny, supportive, and low-key scheming in a helpful way—like he’s always got a plan that involves snacks and clever one-liners. He seems aloof but is secretly very invested in people’s feelings, and he’ll drop a brutally honest compliment that makes you rethink your life (in a good way). Loves a good joke, despises drama unless it’s entertaining, and somehow manages to look put-together while being slightly messy in his apartment.