Welcome to Late Night Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past!  On Sunday, I will be reviewing the Canadian series, Degrassi Junior High, which aired on CBC and PBS from 1987 to 1989!  The series can be streamed on YouTube!

With the school year coming to an end, prejudice raises its ugly head.

Episode 3.14 “Black & White”

(Dir by John Bertram, originally aired on March 5th, 1989)

The school year is nearly over.  While Bart and Scooter take pictures for the yearbook, the other students prepare for the big graduation dance.  BLT asks Michelle to be his date to the dance and Michelle says yes.  I have to admit that I was a bit surprised that BLT and Michelle weren’t already dating at the start of this episode.  Nearly every time that we’ve seen Michelle over the course of the third season, BLT has been right there with her.

Alexa says that it’s great the Michelle is going to the dance with BLT because BLT is a great dancer.  “That goes without saying,” Alexa says.  After an appropriately awkward silence, Alexa adds, “Because he’s black.”  Okay, Alexa, thanks for sharing…. Alexa goes on to say that her parents would never allow her to date a black person because they hate anyone who isn’t Greek.  That must make their lives in Toronto very interesting….

Unfortunately, it turns out that Alexa isn’t the only student with prejudiced parents.  Michelle’s mother takes one look at BLT and suddenly decides that Michelle is too young to start dating.  After Michelle tells BLT the news, BLT suggests that Michelle’s mom doesn’t want her to date him because he’s black.  When Michelle finally works up the courage to ask her mom if BLT is correct, her mom replies that she’s not racist at all.  Instead, she’s so progressive that she understands how racist everyone else is and therefore, she has a unique understanding of how difficult it would be if Michelle ended up marrying someone who wasn’t white….

AGCK!  It’s like a Canadian version of the “I would have voted for Obama a third time,” line from Get Out.

Finally, Michelle works up the courage to go with BLT to the dance anyway, regardless of what her parents may think.

Meanwhile, Spike tries to get a part-time job at a deli.  The owner takes one look at her hair and then claims that Spike was late to the job interview and is therefore unhirable.  “That’s prejudice,” Liz says as they walk away from the deli.  And it is but it’s really not the equivalent of what BLT is dealing with.  Sorry, Degrassi.

For the most part, this was an effective episode.  It starts out with a jarring scene in which another students bumps into BLT and uses the “n-word.”  BLT and the racist student get into a fist fight, which is broken up by an assistant principal.  BLT is told that he’ll be suspended if there’s another fight but, as he explains to Snake and Wheels, there’s no way he’s going to back down if he sees the student again.

“Can’t you just ignore it?” Snake asks.

“You’re not the one being called a….” BLT says, uttering the slur.

It’s an honest scene and not one that most teen shows would have the guts to include.  Hearing the word used so casually in 2024 is jarring.  For American audiences, it’s sometimes good to be reminded that racism is not something that is unique to only one region of our country.  It’s a worldwide thing and often those who are the quickest to brag about their tolerance are actually the most prejudiced people around.