You don't have to be a TV and film buff to be aware of the "token Black friend trope". It's a pretty pervasive feature of sitcoms, teen rom-coms, and even animated series.
So what exactly is a token Black character? Well, inevitably these characters revolve almost entirely around a non-Black character - usually, one who's white.
Now, it may sound cynical, but it's widely agreed that this usually just serves the purpose of making the team behind a certain TV show or movie appear more inclusive - without really making an effort to do so.
Unfortunately, given that these characters are essentially just there to fill a diversity quota, they often lack that three-dimensional, complex quality that the main characters are afforded.
But despite not being given an opportunity to shine, there have been numerous standout token Black friends who - despite their lack of screen time and character development - managed to steal the show.
1. Dionne Davenport in Clueless
When we think of token Black friends in film and TV, Dionne Davenport from the 1995 cult classic Clueless immediately springs to mind.
Of course, we're supposed to be fixated on the blonde bombshell that is Cher Horowitz, who is the protagonist of the teen comedy. Certain beauty standards dictate that this sweet but rather vapid character holds all the star power.
But we argue that is in fact Dionne, who proves herself to be a fantastic friend to Cher and girlfriend of Murray (hello, she teaches him to expand his vocab and adopt a more feminist perspective).
But since Cher is the film's main character, it's Dionne's relationship with her that cements Dionne as a significant character - and one who often outshines the lead of the movie.
The actress who played Dionne, Stacey Dash, may well have been hired as the token Black friend, but boy is she an incredible one.
She even used up her whole day to help Cher get ready for her date with Christian (and we all know how that turned out!) She gives her bestie advice from the heart and is welcoming to new girl Tai (played by Brittany Murphy).
Not to mention she objectively has the best style of all the characters in the movie, with her cute mesh crop tops and her Rasta-style beanie.
2. Cleveland Brown in Family Guy
In a series filled with obnoxious characters, Cleveland Brown is a real breath of fresh air. Not only is he one of the funniest characters on Family Guy, but he was deemed iconic enough that he went on to star in his own spin-off series, The Cleveland Show.
And yeah, The Cleveland Show was canceled after four seasons, with the character returning full time to Family Guy, but that absolutely doesn't take away from the fact that he was one of the few token Black friends to get a spotlight of his own.
Cleveland was also one of the sweeter characters on the show, with his patience often being tested by the series' rather dim-witted protagonist Peter Griffin.
One popular gag in both Family Guy and The Cleveland Show is Peter managing to destroy Cleveland's home on several occasions, which results in Cleveland's now-detached bathtub crashing to the ground.
Cleveland is mild-mannered, usually only getting angry when people make racist comments around him. And he's often the voice of reason when others come up with ill-advised schemes. He's just an all-round good egg.
3. Angela Moore in Boy Meets World
Despite being introduced in later seasons of the show, Angela Moore (played by Trina McGee) really made her mark in her three years on Boy Meets World.
Not to mention she wasn't even the token Black friend of the show's main character Cory Matthews. Instead she was pals with Topanga - Cory's love interest.
While she wasn't afforded the same screen time as best friend characters from other shows, she really was an unforgettable presence.
She showed audiences that a Black female character could be seen as more than a sassy confidante - but instead as a legitimate love interest. Indeed, she was the long term girlfriend of Shawn - Cory's pal.
Their characters' interracial relationship was pretty revolutionary for the time. Audiences were used to seeing the token Black character get coupled up with another token Black character written into the cast purely for convenience.
Their relationship had its up and downs but continued through to their time at college, which, let's face it, rarely happens with high school romances.
4. Taylor McKessie in High School Musical
Young millennials and Gen-Zers will have no problem remembering Taylor McKessie (played by Monique Coleman) in everyone's favorite modern children's musical.
In terms of its appeal for very young audiences, the High School Musical franchise matches the iconic 1964 movie Mary Poppins.
And while Taylor wasn't given the same spotlight as her protagonist pal Gabriella Montez and wasn't given an opportunity to show off her musical prowess, she was a super supportive best friend.
Yes, there is definitely a lot to be said for including a token minority friend simply to fill a diversity quota, but Coleman did what she could in the little screen time she had - and truly shone.
She showed audiences at home that a Black female character could be a science prodigy and all-round accomplished young lady, having been the president of East High's science club as well as a member of the school's national decathlon team.
5. Gerald Johanssen in Hey Arnold!
Gerald Johanssen (voiced by Jamil Walker Smith) is the much more interesting friend of this animated Nickelodeon show's eponymous character. He has enough charisma that he could well have been the long-running cartoon's protagonist himself.
Not only is he cool, confident and easygoing, he's also a fantastic friend to Arnold Shortman. Not to mention he was given the honor of being class president. In fact, so perturbed was fellow forth-grader Rhonda that he nabbed the high-ranking role that she omitted him from her so-called "cool list" and instead included him on "the geek list".
But this only served to emphasize just how popular and influential he was given that his classmates were surprised that a kid as charismatic (and dare we say, main character-worthy) as Gerald could ever be placed on such a list.
In any case, Gerald is definitely more of a complex character than Arnold. He balances out Arnold's sometimes over-optimistic attitude with a more realistic perspective. Sometimes this can lead to conflict between the elementary school duo but never for long.
He's also more of a flawed (and thus infinitely more interesting) character than Arnold, with the latter always trying to see the best in everyone and Gerald holding grudges against people he believes have wronged him.
6. Susie Carmichael in Rugrats
Susie Carmichael and Angelica Pickles couldn't be any more different if they tried. Despite being a similar age, Susie, who is a recurring character on the show, seems an unlikely friend to Angelica - who often terrorizes her younger cousin and his friends.
Susie is essentially Angelica's "foil" as she's the much more likeable member of the toddler duo and does her best to help the babies stand up to her spoilt sort-of friend.
So much so that the two could even be said to have a rivalry, with Angelica envying Susie for the toys she has. Despite said rivalry, Susie does try to maintain a friendship with Angelica.
Fortunately, despite being a recurring character in the original series, Susie was considered integral enough to the narrative that she was given a regular role in a continuation series of the show, All Grown Up! in which Susie is no longer three years old, but a pre-teen at middle school.