AARP CEO Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan
AARP
Black audiences are among the entertainment industry’s most engaged consumers, attending movies and watching television and streaming content at higher rates than the general population, according to new research from AARP. Yet, while Black viewers are consuming more entertainment, many say they are not seeing themselves accurately reflected on screen—particularly Black women over 50.
In its new study, “Bridging the Gap: The Path to More Authentic Portrayals of Black Adults in Movies and TV,” AARP found that 95% of Black adults say it is important to see Black women age 50 and older represented on screen. At the same time, only one in four respondents believe current portrayals of Black women of all ages are accurate.
AARP is releasing the findings today at the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival, one of the nation’s premier gatherings celebrating Black storytelling and creative voices. The research underscores an opportunity for Hollywood to better reflect the experiences, aspirations, relationships, and contributions of Black audiences—a consumer group with an estimated $2 trillion in buying power, according to Nielsen.
“Black audiences are telling us clearly what they want to see, and there’s a real opportunity for studios and creators to meet this moment,” AARP CEO Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan said. “Our research findings point to an audience that is deeply engaged and ready for stories that reflect the full range of their lived experiences. Expanding the range of stories depicted on screen can create stronger connections with viewers while helping the industry reach a broader spectrum of moviegoers.”
The study is based on a national survey of 1,801 Black adults ages 18 and older conducted June 1–15, 2026. Beyond representation, the findings point to the broader impact storytelling can have on how Black audiences view aging, relationships, family, and themselves.
More than half of respondents, 54%, said seeing Black women 50 and older portrayed on screen made them feel more positive about their own aging.
Additional findings from the study include:
- 96% say it is important to show multiple generations together on screen, a sentiment shared broadly across age groups. Among them, 63% say it reflects real-life relationships and family dynamics, while 57% say it helps break down stereotypes about age.
- 57% of Black adults feel underrepresented in storylines involving family dynamics, friendship, and social connection.
- 68% of Black women said they want to see more stories focused on love and romance.
- 46% believe Black women 50 and older have significant influence in shaping how aging itself is portrayed in movies and television.
The research reveals a powerful disconnect: Black audiences want to see Black women 50 and older represented on screen, but many do not believe those portrayals accurately reflect their lives. Minter-Jordan believes the gap illustrates where Hollywood has fallen short.
“We created Movies for Grownups to celebrate stories by and about people 50+, and Hollywood has made great strides in that area,” she said. “What we’ve found is that audiences are deeply engaged and ready for stories that reflect the full range of their lived experiences. In our new research, Black audiences are telling us what they want to see, and there’s a real opportunity for the industry to meet this moment and continue to make improvements.”
Nearly half, 46%, of Black adults indicated that they feel underrepresented in movies and television.
The findings also suggest that authentic representation is about more than visibility—it can influence how people see themselves and their own aging. More than half of respondents said portrayals of Black women 50 and older make them feel more positive about aging.
Minter-Jordan believes storytelling is a powerful tool for shaping perceptions of aging, identity, and possibility, and the research reinforces that idea.
“Our research has found that nearly 90% of all audiences say what is portrayed on screen shapes how society views aging. That is a powerful tool that creators and storytellers possess,” she said. “One of the reasons we created Movies for Grownups, and why we are participating in the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival, is to demonstrate that entertainment can be a tremendous positive force in helping people develop more nuanced views of aging.”
Black audiences also represent significant cultural and economic influence. According to Minter-Jordan, authentic representation is not only a social responsibility for studios and creators, but also a business opportunity.
“The data is clear, and the business case is straightforward. Audiences respond to authentic representations of themselves on screen. Black adults alone represent nearly $2 trillion in buying power, plus our Longevity Economy report found that adults 50+ contribute $12.5 trillion to the economy annually. If you’re not speaking to them in a way that connects, you are missing a significant business opportunity,” she said.
One of the study’s most notable findings is that 96% of respondents want to see multiple generations represented on screen, largely because doing so reflects real-life relationships and helps break down stereotypes about age.
Minter-Jordan says what is missing from many of Hollywood’s stories about Black families, friendships, and intergenerational connections is authenticity.
“The most common stories Black audiences want to see more of themselves reflected in involve family dynamics, including blended families and raising grandchildren, as well as about friendship and social connection, and romantic relationships,” she said. “These are also many of the themes we focus on at AARP for 50+ audiences more broadly, as people are increasingly living in multi-generational households, becoming caregivers, and navigating friendship and dating at different stages of life.”
When respondents were asked how African American/Black women age 50 and older are typically portrayed in movies and television today, 45% described those portrayals as “limited or stereotypical.”
“That’s another opportunity for Hollywood to represent Black audiences authentically,” Minter-Jordan said.
AARP has increasingly become a voice challenging outdated ideas about aging through its Movies for Grownups program.
“Our mission with the Movies for Grownups program is to promote age inclusivity and representation in Hollywood and highlight the stories of adults 50+. We recently expanded the franchise from an annual awards ceremony and a screening program to a year-round editorial platform so we can further that mission every day,” Minter-Jordan said.
The initiative has included honoring Angela Bassett last year as its inaugural Most Fabulous Woman Over 50, as well as platforming original, nuanced stories about icons including Alfre Woodard, Octavia Spencer, and Vivica A. Fox.
As Hollywood looks toward the future of film and television, Minter-Jordan has a message for executives, writers, producers, and creators seeking to tell richer, more inclusive stories that reflect the full lives of Black adults 50 and older.
“The reality today is not the same as the reality from 20, 30, 40 years ago. Continue to focus on how we are living today, with greater vitality, variety, and longevity than ever before,” she said.
The message from AARP’s research is clear: Black audiences want to see themselves reflected on screen—not simply through greater visibility, but through stories that capture the complexity, diversity, and vitality of their lives.
Learn more at AARP.org/blacklegacy