BernNadette Stanis: First Black Teen TV Star Unveiling Her Historic Legacy
BernNadette Stanis: The Brooklyn Girl Who Changed Black Television Forever
For generations of Black Americans, especially those who grew up watching television in the 1970s, BernNadette Stanis was more than an actress. She was a breakthrough.
Born Bernadette Stanislaus in Brooklyn, New York, in 1953, Stanis grew up in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn and attended Erasmus Hall High School before studying drama at the prestigious Juilliard School.
As a teenager, she also participated in beauty pageants, becoming Miss Brooklyn and later first runner-up in the Miss New York State pageant. Her professional acting career began with an audition for Norman Lear’s groundbreaking CBS sitcom Good Times.
In 1974, Stanis landed the role that would define her career: Thelma Ann Evans, the only daughter of Florida and James Evans. Good Times ran from 1974 to 1979 and became one of the most important Black sitcoms in American television history.
Thelma was significant because she presented a young Black woman as intelligent, ambitious, stylish, funny, and determined to build a better future. At a time when Black female characters were often confined to stereotypical roles, Thelma offered a different image to millions of viewers. Stanis has described herself as the first Black teenager on television, a milestone that became an important part of her legacy.
The video featured in this article gives Stanis an opportunity to reflect on what it meant to play that groundbreaking character. She discusses how Thelma was written by people who did not necessarily understand her real-life experiences, and how Esther Rolle helped advocate for Thelma to receive a stronger voice on the show. It is a revealing look at the difference between being represented on television and actually being understood by the people creating that representation.
After Good Times, Stanis continued working in television and film, appearing in The Love Boat, What's Happening Now!!, Bustin' Loose, The Cosby Show, The Parent 'Hood, The Wayans Bros., Girlfriends and Black Jesus. She also appeared in films including N-Secure and The Engagement.
Stanis also became an author and advocate. Her books include Good Times: Ain't We Lucky We Got 'Em and The Last Night, which chronicles her experience caring for her mother during Alzheimer's disease. She founded the Remembering the Good Times Foundation to raise awareness about Alzheimer's and support families affected by the disease.
Today, BernNadette Stanis remains active as an actress, author, and speaker. She has continued appearing on television, including The Family Business and The Family Business: New Orleans. For Brooklyn and for American television history, her story remains a reminder that sometimes one character can open a door that stays open for generations.
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