Trending badgeTrendingPosted 2 hours agoSubscribe to BuzzFeed Daily NewsletterCaret DownHere's Why Keke Palmer's New Show Is Facing Backlash"Read the room."by Chelsea StewartBuzzFeed StaffFacebookPinterestLink This week, Keke Palmer unveiled a new show, Southern Fried Rice, for her KeyTV Network. Savion Washington / Getty Images Starring newcomer Page Yang, it follows a Korean American woman named KoKo as she sets off to attend a historically Black college and university (HBCU). Page Yang / Via Instagram: @https://www.instagram.com/pagepayang/?hl=en&g=5 In the trailer, KoKo says she was raised by Black parents and that for her, "Black culture is the only culture I know." View this video on YouTube KeyTV / Via youtube.com But the concept immediately sparked debate online. While the show aims to explore themes of identity and belonging, many criticized Keke for featuring a non-Black lead in a story about HBCUs - spaces that were created to uplift and empower Black students who were denied access elsewhere and that remain vital hubs for education, community, and safety today.
An HBCU inspired show centered around an Asian woman?! https://t.co/OgBIr2Yx3J pic.twitter.com/HC3n2g1bFe- Rachel. (@_loveRachel_) October 21, 2025 @_loveRachel_ / Bravo / KeyTV / Via Twitter: @_loveRachel_ Many felt that focusing on an Asian lead overshadowed the HBCU experience and accused Keke of "de-centering" Black voices in a space that was created for them. Unique Nicole / Getty Images "Why would we care about a non black person's experience at an hbcu," one viral tweet read.
Why would we care about a non black person's experience at an hbcu https://t.co/xXQ3RVPYT3 pic.twitter.com/A7C41cQUXc- 👩🏽💻 (@lnternetfemale) October 22, 2025 @lnternetfemale / KeyTV / Via Twitter: @lnternetfemale "I'm not watching no show about an Asian girl raised by a Black family attending an HBCU," another tweeted. "We not on that right now. Read the room."I'm not watching no show about an Asian girl raised by a Black family attending an HBCU. You should've released tht bullshit when Dear White People and Mixed-ish came out. We not on that right now. Read the room.- I appreciate you. (@DeeLaSheeArt) October 22, 2025 @DeeLaSheeArt / KeyTV / Via Twitter: @DeeLaSheeArt "this whole Southern Fried Rice thing is weird," someone stated. "why couldn't the main character be a Black girl who was adopted by an Asian-American family and wanted to have the HBCU experience? All this backlash could have been avoided." @korysjapril / KeyTV / Via x.com People also stressed the importance of telling Black stories with Black leads in this current day and age.
Black actresses can barely get lead roles btw 😭😭✌🏿 https://t.co/Sa3rFudAhZ pic.twitter.com/L60yH6RuKJ- Spy (@wildingspi) October 21, 2025 @wildingspi / KeyTV / Via Twitter: @wildingspi "you be having all the resources in the world n here you go centering an asian girl at an hbc and go all the black girls as side characters," one person wrote.you be having all the resources in the world n here you go centering an asian girl at an hbc and go all the black girls as side characters. https://t.co/S8yz6lhWBu pic.twitter.com/kBc85jdwD9- tay is patience (@plainpotatotay) October 21, 2025 @plainpotatotay / KeyTV / Via Twitter: @plainpotatotay Another person called out what they said was a history of "tone deaf" behavior from Keke, which includes a recently shelved interview with Jonathan Majors and previous comments about disgraced singer R. Kelly.
If it's one thing Ms. Palmer gonna do, it's make the most tone deaf decision at the most inopportune time imaginable lollll https://t.co/uqL14DvYMT- MC's revenge🔪 (@marsisbored) October 21, 2025 @marsisbored / KeyTV / Via Twitter: @marsisbored "an Asian women in Bamboo hoop earrings attending an hbcu? I'm not hungry," another said, making another point about cultural appropriation.an Asian women in Bamboo hoop earrings attending an hbcu? I'm not hungry https://t.co/b5WEzGBQso pic.twitter.com/uLv0TChuuU- trinadryl 🥱 (@disgustinglyhot) October 21, 2025 @disgustinglyhot / KeyTV / Via Twitter: @disgustinglyhot Eventually, Keke responded to the discourse directly, saying she's simply trying to "help fund and support the creators of color behind the scenes" and give them "a chance to tell their own story." She pointed out the number of Black creatives she's platformed through KeyTV, including Southern Fried Rice creator and HBCU graduate Nakia Stephens, plus different directors, writers, costume designers, and makeup artists. Paras Griffin / Getty Images "Look, what you like is subjective, but the support of Black creatives is not, and it's a task that KeyTV takes on with pride," she said. "Because if you want to be a creative, you have to be able to create, and that takes money, and it's KeyTV's mission to find the funds for you to be in practice, for you to experience trial and error, and to take your projects off the page and get more than one chance to do it in action. So, whether you like