The Sagas of Huey and Riley Freeman

Chapter 4 of my book Bad Men focuses on Huey and Riley Freeman from Aaron McGruder's comic strip and television show The Boondocks. 

It's fascinating how McGruder utilizes humor and playfulness to present multiple social critiques of American society. His black boy protagonists of the comic strip provide the impetus for amusing, biting commentary about race relations, the challenges of black militancy, the harm popular culture can inflict on impressionable African American youth, and media and governmental responses to 9/11. McGruder proves to be an exuberant and resourceful cultural cataloger, referencing and ridiculing a far-reaching number of people.

I first discovered The Boondocks in 1999, the year it became nationally syndicated. I followed the strips since that time, so I was pleased to include Huey and Riley in my study of bad men and vulnerable black boys.  

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This entry is part of a series--28 Days & Ways of Thinking about Bad Men & Vulnerable Black Boys.

Note: For a 30% discount, use the promo code 10FEB23 when and if purchasing the book on the University of Virginia Press site (For February 2023 only).