Atlanta Season 16 of Real Housewives is where it all started. When Porsha Williams looked into the camera and called out Bravo for letting the women acknowledge production, that was the moment it hit me. I think that is when we finally realized we were officially at this cultural shift.

When Cynthia Erivo stepped onto the stage of the Hollywood Bowl as Jesus Christ in Jesus Christ Superstar, the reactions came fast and loud. Not because she couldn’t sing—she could. Not because she didn’t belong on that stage—she did. But because she dared to embody a figure many Americans still consider off-limits

When most folks bring up Angela Oakley, they call her the “best newbie” on The Real Housewives of Atlanta . And while that’s cute… we’ll...