Tami Roman explores her long reality TV journey, from 'Real World' to 'Basketball Wives'

After two decades of contributions to the genre and the culture — and an ongoing reckoning around racism in entertainment — it’s time to ask: What does reality TV owe Black women?

Black women have appeared as some of the genre’s most iconic stars and are the subject of quotes and memes that fuel Internet culture and social media discourse. But Black women are also often stereotyped as angry or too sensitive or ill-informed. Then, they’re sidelined and villainized.

In 1993, Tami Roman forged a standout presence on the second season of “The Real World,” set in Los Angeles. She later joined the cast of “Basketball Wives.”

“I don't think that women that are on TV have the responsibility of all the Black women in the world,” she said. “We are not representative of every Black woman that's ever walked the earth because we had an argument on television.” Read moreSubscribe to The Washington Post on YouTube