Throughout history, Black people in television shows have been portrayed in stereotypical ways, as side characters or people with low socioeconomic status. Shonda Rhimes, the creator of Scandal, is known to break barriers by having diverse characters and impactful storylines within her shows. Scandal depicts a dark-skinned Black woman, Olivia Pope, played by Kerry Washington, as a prominent figure in Washington whose character is also reinforced by her relationship with a powerful man, the president, Fitz. Rhimes’ characters change how Black people are portrayed on television and diverge…