From Sandra Bland to the shootings in Charleston, South Carolina, African Americans were sadly reminded that being Black in America is much harder than it ought to be. And yet in the same breath, 2015 was a year of Black joy during which our culture dominated not only in our lives, but in the mainstream consciousness. From Cookie Lyons to the Cosby Ebony cover, our brilliance helped to push the conversation, affirm our greatness, make history and most important, make us laugh.
So to celebrate that greatness, we put together this list of the most defining Black pop culture moments of 2015. And don’t worry: Rachel Dolezal is nowhere to be seen.
Top Black Pop Culture Moments Of 2015 was originally published on hellobeautiful.com
1. Top Black Pop Culture Moments of 2015
![Top Black Pop Culture Moments of 2015](https://hellobeautiful.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2015/12/14514196654597.jpg?w=720&quality=80&strip=all)
2. Top Black Pop Culture Moments of 2015: Michael B Jordan’s Abs in ‘Creed’
![Top Black Pop Culture Moments of 2015: Michael B Jordan’s Abs in ‘Creed’](https://hellobeautiful.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2015/11/14478001538767.png?w=720&quality=80&strip=all)
3. Top Black Pop Culture Moments of 2015: Titus Burgess and His Peeno Noir
![Top Black Pop Culture Moments of 2015: Titus Burgess and His Peeno Noir](https://hellobeautiful.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2015/07/14370736901569-e1450950069763.jpg?w=720&quality=80&strip=all)
4. Top Black Pop Culture Moments of 2015: Lisa’s Funeral Scene on ‘Being Mary Jane’
![Top Black Pop Culture Moments of 2015: Lisa’s Funeral Scene on ‘Being Mary Jane’](https://hellobeautiful.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2015/10/14443920632608-e1444391813497.jpg?w=720&quality=80&strip=all)
5. Top Black Pop Culture Moments of 2015: Misty Copeland’s “I Will, What I Want” Commercial
![Top Black Pop Culture Moments of 2015: Misty Copeland’s “I Will, What I Want” Commercial](https://hellobeautiful.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2015/07/14362853503763.jpg?w=720&quality=80&strip=all)
6. Top Black Pop Culture Moments of 2015: Zendaya and Amandla Read The Girls For Filth
![Top Black Pop Culture Moments of 2015: Zendaya and Amandla Read The Girls For Filth](https://hellobeautiful.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2015/07/14368033459042-e1439421536990.jpg?w=720&quality=80&strip=all)
7. Top Black Pop Culture Moments of 2015: Cicely Tyson Scratching Viola Davis’ Scalp on ‘HTGAWM’
![Top Black Pop Culture Moments of 2015: Cicely Tyson Scratching Viola Davis’ Scalp on ‘HTGAWM’](https://hellobeautiful.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2015/07/14370713910872.jpg?w=720&quality=80&strip=all)
8. Top Black Pop Culture Moments of 2015: The Year of The Black Cover Girl
![Top Black Pop Culture Moments of 2015: The Year of The Black Cover Girl](https://hellobeautiful.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2015/03/14267124940496.jpg?w=720&quality=80&strip=all)
9. Top Black Pop Culture Moments of 2015: Tristan Wilds in the Adele Video
![Top Black Pop Culture Moments of 2015: Tristan Wilds in the Adele Video](https://hellobeautiful.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2015/10/14454390325693.jpg?w=720&quality=80&strip=all)
10. Top Black Pop Culture Moments of 2015: Grace Jones’ AfroPunk Performance
![Top Black Pop Culture Moments of 2015: Grace Jones’ AfroPunk Performance](https://hellobeautiful.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2015/03/14274730949546.png?w=720&quality=80&strip=all)
11. Top Black Pop Culture Moments of 2015: Beyonce’s Met Gala Dress
![Top Black Pop Culture Moments of 2015: Beyonce’s Met Gala Dress](https://hellobeautiful.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2015/05/14311002644073-e1433797387816.jpg?w=720&quality=80&strip=all)
12. Top Black Pop Culture Moments of 2015: Missy Elliot’s Super Bowl Halftime Performance
![Top Black Pop Culture Moments of 2015: Missy Elliot’s Super Bowl Halftime Performance](https://hellobeautiful.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2015/11/14473471834757-e1449210570257.jpg?w=720&quality=80&strip=all)
13. Top Black Pop Culture Moments of 2015: Common and John Legend at the Oscars
![Top Black Pop Culture Moments of 2015: Common and John Legend at the Oscars](https://hellobeautiful.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2015/12/14495109181702.jpg?w=720&quality=80&strip=all)
14. Top Black Pop Culture Moments of 2015: That Bill Cosby ‘EBONY’ Cover
![Top Black Pop Culture Moments of 2015: That Bill Cosby ‘EBONY’ Cover](https://hellobeautiful.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2015/10/14450282422344-e1445027983200.jpg?w=720&quality=80&strip=all)
15. Top Black Pop Culture Moments Of 2015: President Obama Having No F*$^ks Left to Give
![Top Black Pop Culture Moments Of 2015: President Obama Having No F*$^ks Left to Give](https://hellobeautiful.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2015/12/14494481229655-e1449526943291.jpg?w=720&quality=80&strip=all)
16. Top Black Pop Culture Moments Of 2015: Dem Patty Pies
![Top Black Pop Culture Moments Of 2015: Dem Patty Pies](https://hellobeautiful.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2015/12/14502190290912.jpg?w=720&quality=80&strip=all)
17. Top Black Pop Culture Moments Of 2015: Viola Davis Wins an Emmy for HTGWM
![Top Black Pop Culture Moments Of 2015: Viola Davis Wins an Emmy for HTGWM](https://hellobeautiful.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2015/09/14430240996769.jpg?w=720&quality=80&strip=all)
18. Top Black Pop Culture Moments Of 2015: Drake Demolishes the Internet
![Top Black Pop Culture Moments Of 2015: Drake Demolishes the Internet](https://hellobeautiful.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2015/07/14365383180328.jpg?w=720&quality=80&strip=all)
19. Top Black Pop Culture Moments Of 2015: “Miley, What’s Good?”
![Top Black Pop Culture Moments Of 2015: “Miley, What’s Good?”](https://hellobeautiful.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2015/08/14409857825036-e1440985590404.jpg?w=720&quality=80&strip=all)
20. Top Black Pop Culture Moments Of 2015: The Black Brilliance of ‘The Wiz’ Live
![Top Black Pop Culture Moments Of 2015: The Black Brilliance of ‘The Wiz’ Live](https://hellobeautiful.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2015/11/14482920233669-e1448478639146.jpg?w=720&quality=80&strip=all)
21. Top Black Pop Culture Moments Of 2015: Ava DuVernay’s Barbie Sells Out in 17 Minutes
![Top Black Pop Culture Moments Of 2015: Ava DuVernay’s Barbie Sells Out in 17 Minutes](https://hellobeautiful.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2015/10/144616288476.jpg?w=720&quality=80&strip=all)
22. Top Black Pop Culture Moments Of 2015: John Boyega Stays Drinking White Tears
![Top Black Pop Culture Moments Of 2015: John Boyega Stays Drinking White Tears](https://hellobeautiful.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2015/12/14501962864796.jpg?w=720&quality=80&strip=all)
23. Top Black Pop Culture Moments Of 2015: Everything Black Twitter Did
![Top Black Pop Culture Moments Of 2015: Everything Black Twitter Did](https://hellobeautiful.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2015/07/14370495439525.jpg?w=720&quality=80&strip=all)
24. Worst Moments In Pop Culture Moments Of 2015
![Worst Moments In Pop Culture Moments Of 2015](https://hellobeautiful.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2015/07/139420097-e1442633365878.jpg?w=720&quality=80&strip=all)