After meeting a mysterious girl named Emily, Maya gets a lesson in revisionist history and learns the shocking truth about beloved town founder, Christian A. Smith
Tropes include:
- Acceptable Breaks from Reality: The episode takes many liberties with reality regarding Christian A. Smith, such as having a slave owner's history being so completely scrubbed that you can't find it even on the dark web, having him be one in California from 200 years ago and a plantation owner, and the fact that people would react in shock that a white man from almost 200 years ago was a slave owner.
- A Day in the Limelight: For Maya and her family.
- Adoption Diss: Maya's History teacher Mrs. Brady condescendingly denies that Christian A. Smith is a direct ancestor of Maya's father Barry, and only concedes when Dijonay informs her that Maya is adopted. Even then, she dismisses it as not Maya's true family history. For added subtext, Mrs. Brady is a blonde, blue-eyed white woman.
- Anachronism Stew: In her diary, Emily describes the celebration of Jubilee (precursor to Juneteenth) in 1827 when the first Jubilee celebrations actually happened in 1866 decades later than what she describes.
- Artistic License – History: Despite its message on fighting revisionism being a good one, the episode gets a lot of facts wrong:
- First, the town is supposed to take place in California, but it's founder who was supposed to have founded it almost 200 years ago is depicted as a New England type of man. This contradicts the fact that California would have historically been under Spanish rule and later under Mexico until 1848 where it ceded.
- Second, while there were slaveowners who moved to California, during the Gold Rush, they weren't practicing plantation farming in the state itself like Christian A. Smith was depicted as doing, and California was heavily divided on the issue of slavery, with many people thinking that slaveowners bringing their slaves was an unfair advantage when it came to gold mining. And for that possibility to happen, it would have to take place two decades after the town was supposed to be founded, 1827. Also, while they were able to take slaves, they weren't able to maintain the practice due to there being no laws or enforcement to help them capture escaped slaves. As a result, many slaves did run away from their masters or became rich by finding gold and even bought freedom for themselves and their family. There was trading between slave holders in the state, and those who tried to capture escapees often found out the hard way that the courts ruled in favor of their victims.
- There is also the fact that they mentioned cotton as the crop grown on the Smith plantation which were introduced in California in the early 19th century, but the first attempts historically were by missionaries to provide clothing for the mostly naked Native Americans but proved to be unsuccessful at first due to the climate. As a result, they mostly imported their cotton rather than locally grow it until the 1840's (which happened way later than when the town was founded and Emily was enslaved) where it was established by settlers without any slave labor.
- Third, the episode treats Lincoln as sticking to the idea of deporting slaves, when he actually abandoned the idea as he got to see slavery as more of a moral issue rather than political one. Also, while the border states were allowed to keep their slaves, it was so they wouldn't turn on them and join the Confederacy. Once the war was won, the 13th amendment abolished slavery across the whole US. In other words, it was a strategic maneuver to keep more states from rebelling. Lincoln didn't have the authority to just end slavery by himself via a proclamation. He could only do so in the Confederate states because they were actively rebelling and waging war. A permanent solution required Congress, which took more time and support.
- Fourth, while Jubilee was celebrated, a non-slave state like California wouldn't have a reason to do so since it never had official black slavery widely practiced. And since the town was founded in 1827, it should have been years before Jubilee would even been something. However, Black Texans brought Juneteenth to California during the migrations where it became adopted as a practice.
- Fifth, while there could be a small possibility that Emily could have been literate, the majority of slaves wouldn't have been able to read and write, especially if it was under a harsh slaver like the episode paints Christian A. Smith as. Also, even if she was literate, she wouldn't be able to maintain a diary like she had at that age due to not having the paper and ink to write anything, while also keeping her ability a secret from her master.
- Artistic License – Law Enforcement:
- While it's to show how the Wizard has the cops in his pocket, he wouldn't have the authority to just put the kids in jail unless they were really rioting and doing something violent.
- They also wouldn't be kept a month in jail that long as minors especially with the fact they were not violently protesting.
- Also non-involved bystanders being arrested wouldn't have flown as well and would realistically get the police and the Wizard into legal trouble.
- This also includes arresting cops like Sunset and Barry who weren't even doing anything, which would get the Wiz and the police into even more legal trouble even if he did have power.
- In real life, Penny would have had her phone confiscated due to it being a personal item and considered contraband.
- The show portrays the minor characters being held in the same jail cell as the adults, but in real life both minors and adults would be separated whether or not they’re family.
- Broken Pedestal: Up until this episode, Christian A. Smith is fondly remembered as the founder of Smithville. But once Penny and her friends reveal that he was a slave owner, his reputation is destroyed overnight.
- Calling the Old Man Out: When Maya confronts Barry about the truth of his ancestor, she's angered when Barry refuses to even look at Emily's diary or consider the possibility Maya's right.
- Category Traitor: Wizard Kelly is a successful and influential black man willing to have protesting teenagers brutalized by police and thrown in jail to protect the image of a white slave owner.
- Clueless Aesop:
- While it has a point about whitewashing history, the issues concerning its Aesop is the fact that in real life, people have had statues of people who happened to be slave owners, but who are respected for many reasons (but still are given a more flawed view). And it takes a non-nuanced stance that no slaveowner can ever be admired, despite the fact that they must have done something good to make them a complex figure. That said, he’d come off as a Deliberately Bad Example to said slaveowners.
- It also exaggerates how scrubbed his history his background as a slaveowner to the point it's not even on the dark web and can only be found in the diary of a former slave he owned, which in this day and age would be laughable to think about.
- It tries to invoke white privilege and fragility when Wizard Kelly (a rich black man) overrules Barry (a white cop), who's just powerless to do anything.
- There is also the fact that the book, White Fragility, is treated with great reverence on the subject of racism, when the book itself is controversial for its thesis that racism is a combination of prejudice and white privilege, and therefore only white people can be racist.
- Condemned by History: In-Universe example regarding Christian A. Smith; despite the fact that he was long celebrated as the town founder of Smithville, being a slave owner is enough for his reputation to be tainted forever.
- Darker and Edgier: This episode tackles the subject of censorship, Police Brutality, slavery, and privilege.
- Dirty Cop: The Faceless Goons who arrest Penny and her friends are implied to be on the payroll of Wizard Kelly, as they go so far as to arrest even other cops like Barry and Sunset.
- Easily Condemned: In-Universe, being a slave owner is enough for Christian A. Smith’s reputation to be tainted forever, despite the fact that he’s implied to have performed far more heroic deeds.
- Everyone Has Standards: Even LaCienga is outraged when she finds out Christian A. Smith was a slaveowner and she actively joins in the protest to have the statue removed and the town's name changed. She's also the first one to refuse being set free from prison until more is done.
- Faceless Goons: The riot cops Wizard Kelly sics on the teens wear visors that conceals their faces, and they're very ruthless. This is heavily contrasted against known police officers who always show their faces like Barry and Sunset, who are kind, reasonable, and professional.
- Foreshadowing: Maya is unable to find anything about Smith’s slave ownership while using Wizoogle.
- Hard Truth Aesop: History is written by people who write stuff down, which means they must be taken with a grain of salt. Christian A. Smith became a hero, because all he needed was only his side of the story, and Emily's perspective scrubbed.
- Heel–Face Turn: In the beginning, Mrs. Brady, the history teacher, was acting racist and antagonistic to Maya at the beginning of the episode, but after all of what Maya, her fellow students, and her parents fought for during the episode, she changed her tune as she was seen applauding Maya for her speech at the name-changing ceremony at the end of the episode.
- Historical Hero Upgrade: As per the revisionist history of Smithville, Christian A. Smith's reputation as a slaveowner was omitted.
- Historical Villain Upgrade: This episode implicitly does this with, of all people, Abraham Lincoln. To wit, Brother Kwame says that Lincoln "wanted to deport [slaves]" and the episode implies that Lincoln stuck with this plan, when in fact he abandoned it as he came to see slavery as more of a moral issue than a political one. Also, the border states were only allowed to keep their slaves so they wouldn't secede from the Union. Plus Lincoln just didn't have the authority to just end slavery by himself via a proclamation. He could only do so via the 13th Amendment, which required Congress and took more time and support.
- Hypocrite: Wizard Kelly is willing to defend Christian A. Smith’s reputation despite in the original series paid to have the city he founded named Wizville.
- Irony:
- Wizard Kelly is black. Despite this, he’s more than willing to defend the reputation of a slave owner.
- There's also the name of Christian A. Smith himself. "Christian" means "follower of Christ," and "Smith" is an occupational surname derived from the word "blacksmith." Meaning that "Christian A. Smith" literally means "a Christian blacksmith." Considering he was a slaveowner who made his slaves do the work for him, and thus acted contrary to the teachings of Jesus, this is a major case of Ironic Name.
- Karma Houdini: Wizard Kelly is not shown paying in any way for having sicced the cops on a bunch of protesting teenagers (which is a 1st Amendment violation). Even if the town eventually has its name changed to Emilyville, we're given no indication if Wizard Kelly's reputation or standing suffered in any way for his actions, implying he only did this to save face.
- Lethal Chef: Randall cooks the family shrimp and grits for breakfast and the shrimp are still alive and swimming around in it. His whole family runs out before they have to eat it.
- Mayor Pain: Wizard Kelly becomes the mayor in this episode and he shows he's not above abusing his power just like he did as a corporate executive by ordering the police to arrest not only the protesting teens, but even other cops like Barry and Sunset along with any crowd bystander.
- My God, What Have I Done?: You can clearly see the guilt in Barry's face when Wizard Kelly's goons go up against Maya and the kids, with the implication he understands this wouldn't have escalated if he had believed her before the ceremony.
- Oh, Crap!: Trudy and Oscar are both horrified when Penny tells them the truth about Christian A. Smith.
- Our Ghosts Are Different: Emily is of the Unfinished Business type due to her master's reputation as a slaveowner being censored and wants people to know the truth.
- Parents as People: Barry initially can't face the truth of his ancestor's status as a slaveowner, and it takes seeing his own children being accosted by armed police for him to realize how wrong he was to not trust Maya's words. When Wizard Kelly has everyone thrown in jail, Barry begs Maya to forgive him.
- Police Brutality: Wizard Kelly has the police stop the protest, and we're shown everyone in the cast being forced back and thrown down. Not even Barry's status as a detective means anything to them, as he gets thrown down and his badge trampled on. Barry and Sunset are also thrown in jail alongside everyone else, implying these cops are only loyal to Wizard Kelly.
- Product Placement: The controversial race book, White Fragility, is shown by Randy.
- Protagonist-Centered Morality: Miss Brady, the history teacher, and Barry are treated as ignorant and stubborn for adhering to the revised version of Christian A. Smith's legacy, while Brother Kwame is treated as sagely for (wrongfully) vilifying Lincoln as if he stuck to the deportation plan for African-Americans.
- Ripped from the Headlines: The episode is based around the Confederate statue controversy which has been going on since the Floyd protests.
- Shoo Out the Clowns: The more comedic members of the titular family either don't appear until the episode's last 10 minutes (Oscar), are reduced to silent roles in episode's final 5 minutes (Suga Mama and Bobby) or don't appear at all (Bebe and Cece), to reflect the more serious tone.
- Slavery Is a Special Kind of Evil: As mentioned under Easily Condemned, being a slave owner is enough for Christian A. Smith’s reputation to be tainted forever.
- Straw Character: Most of those who support Christian A. Smith are depicted in an unflattering, one-dimensional light: Mrs.Brady is depicted as being condescending and rude to anyone who questions his legacy, Barry is treated as foolish and labeled as having white fragility for sticking by his ancestor's legacy despite Emily's journal, and The Wizard is depicted as a Category Traitor due to being a black man protecting a white slaverowner's legacy.
- Take Our Word for It: In-universe Christian A. Smith being a slave owner is considered enough to get everyone to see him as a monster, when we aren't told anything else about his life that made people look up to him which is why many figures in history with a background of slave owning are still revered.
- Take That!: In the door gag of the episode, Ms. Brady, the racially insensitive teacher, is seen with a copy of the novel version of the film The Help, which is seen as a White Man's Burden piece (which is in contrast with the actual novel which places more emphasis on the black protagonists and has the white main lead be a woman of her time).
- Time Skip: After many of the protesters are incarcerated, a month goes by before everything is resolved and Smithville is renamed Emilyville.
- Wham Episode: As of this episode, the town's name is changed to Emilyville.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Randall shares Maya's disgust at Barry's refusal to accept the truth about Christian A. Smith and calls him out on his denialism.
- Written by the Winners: The major theme of this episode. Because of how black slaves were treated, Christian A. Smith, the founder of their town, was a slave owner, and his truth became written—it became THE truth taught in Penny's school. Emily's truth was getting more and more lost as time went on.
