The audience laughed, but the message was clear. Brunson continued, “It’s a network sitcom like, say, Friends. Except, instead of being about a group of friends, it’s about a group of teachers. Instead of New York, it’s in Philadelphia, and instead of not having Black people, it does.”

While her commentary was playful, it sparked serious reflection, including from Friends co-creator Marta Kauffman. Kauffman has openly expressed embarrassment over the show’s lack of diversity, even pledging $4 million to support African and African-American studies at a university.

“I’ve learned a lot in the last 20 years,” Kauffman admitted. “Admitting and accepting guilt is not easy. It’s painful looking at yourself in the mirror. I’m embarrassed that I didn’t know better 25 years ago.”

She went on to say, “It took me a long time to begin to understand how I internalized systemic racism. I’ve been working really hard to become an ally, an anti-racist. And this seemed to me to be a way that I could participate in the conversation from a white woman’s perspective.”

The discussion around diversity is far from over, but it’s clear that the debate has moved forward—even for a beloved sitcom like Friends.