#BlackGirlMagic

Abstract

This chapter explores the relevance of Immanuel Kant's categorical imperative to critique the unintended, subliminal evil representations in Shonda Rhimes's work. Kant's moral theory is used to re-think evil in the way that Rhimes portrays Annalise Keating (Viola Davis) in How to Get Away with Murder (2014-) as an influential defense attorney and law professor who goes to extreme lengths to get what she wants, even if her behavior is considered bad or evil. This chapter argues that Rhimes's work challenges the systemic racism and stereotypical portrayals of Black women in television, as she not only focuses on the bad or evil doings of her Black characters but also on what makes them powerful, good and emblematic of #BlackGirlMagic.