Top 10 Social Issues Featuring People of Color in Soap Operas
From Top Left To Right: Ellen Holly - One Life to live/abc, Samela Tyelbooi - Generations: The Legacy/SABC1, Frank Kauer - Hollyaoks/itv, and Victoria Rowell, Brytonm james, & Kristoff St. John - The young and the restless/cbs.
Social issues have been a major focus of Soap Operas for several years. Some of the social issues depicted in Soap Operas have included the HIV/AIDS epidemic, sexual assault, teen pregnancy, addiction, bullying, and others. While romantic and family dynamics have always been a key element of the genre, One Life to Live on ABC was one of the first daytime serials to feature ethnically and socioeconomically diverse characters.
Late television writer and producer Agnes Nixon, creator of the ABC soap operas One Life to Live, All My Children, Loving, and The City, tackled social issues by weaving them into her shows. In All My Children, the character Mimi Reed (Shari Headley), a Black female police officer, shot an unarmed Black man. This tackles the issue of police brutality through the unique perspective of a person of color. Nixon famously stated her philosophy for creating diverse characters and stories:
“The great and the least, the rich and the poor, the weak and the strong, in joy and sorrow, in tragedy and triumph, you are ALL my children,” reflecting her belief that all human experiences, including societal struggles, deserved representation and empathy on screen.
Other notable social issues depicted on soap operas included Drucilla Winters (Victoria Rowell) accepting that her mother doesn’t love her on CBS’s The Young and the Restless, the female genital mutilation of Mila Marwa & Kioni Marwa on BBC One’s EastEnders, and Tom Hughes (Scott Holmes) having a biracial daughter, Lien Hughes (Lea Solanga), through a relationship with a Vietnamese nurse during the war on CBS’s As the World Turns. Renowned soap opera writer William J. Bell believed daytime TV should do more than entertain;
“It should teach and impact lives by addressing relatable social issues through compelling characters and stories, highlighting themes of hope, human connection, and moral choices for audiences to learn from and escape with”.
10. Central Characters: Yasmeen Nizar-Metcalfe and Geoff Metcalfe | Storyline: Domestic Abuse | Duration: 2019-2020 | Soap: Coronation Street | Network: ITV
On ITV’s Coronation Street, characters Yasmeen Nizar-Metcalfe (Shelley King) and Geoff Metcalfe (Ian Bartholomew) were involved in a domestic abuse storyline. Metcalfe was introduced in 2018 mostly as a love interest for established character Nizar, who was hesitant to enter a romantic relationship. After a couple of months getting to know each other, Geoff and Yasmeen officially started their relationship in March 2019.
Metcalfe slowly but surely began to show his true colors. After agreeing to become more serious in their relationship, he slipped on some food Yasmeen had dropped at Speed Daal, leading to him injuring his back. He subsequently took advantage of his fall, as he was waited on hand and foot by Nizar. However, after deliberately dropping a note in front of him, Nizar exposed Metcalfe as a fraud when he bent down to pick it up. Metcalfe admitted that he had been exaggerating his injury to mean he could spend more time with her. Nizar forgave him, but Metcalfe only became more controlling.
Metcalfe stole Nizar’s bracelet and pointed the finger at two guests who had attended a party at their house the night before. Alya Nazir and Ryan Connor were suspicious and believed Metcalfe staged the burglary, but only found a replacement bracelet and a receipt after searching his pockets. Metcalfe later sold Nizar’s valuables to Little Baz for £450 and guilt-tripped her into apologizing for not believing him. Metcalfe used the staged burglary as a way of gaining even more control over Nizar. He sought new insurance to protect their belongings, but included his own bank details on the claim, attempting to trap her financially. He also installed several security cameras, allowing him to spy on Yasmeen while giving the illusion of protecting her.
In May 2020, Metcalfe threatened Nizar with a knife and smashed him over the head with a wine bottle before stabbing him in the neck with it in self-defense. Metcalfe then collapsed on the floor. Believing that she killed Metcalfe, Nizar phoned the police. He survived the ordeal, whilst Nizar was arrested and charged with attempted murder. Metcalfe played the victim and told others that Nizar tried to kill him.
In December 2020, Nizar’s trial began at Weatherfield Crown Court, where Metcalfe claimed that Nizar was a violent alcoholic and had attacked him unprovoked. However, the tables turned when his ex-wife, Elaine Jonas (Paula Wilcox), who was in a mental institution up until that point, revealed the abusive details of her marriage to Metcalfe. Jonas informed the court that after she left him, she tried to get back their then-infant son, Tim Metcalfe (Joe Duttine), but Metcalfe warned her off by threatening to kill their son if she came near them again. Nizar was found not guilty, and Metcalfe stormed off in rage after one last attempt to win her back. He returned to their house, where he found Nizar packing her belongings, lunging at her, but lost his footing and slid off the roof to his death.
Domestic abuse is an incredibly important topic for Coronation Street to portray with women of color. So many domestic abuse cases slip through the cracks, especially when a woman of color is the victim and a white male is the abuser. Metcalfe and Nizar’s relationship allowed Coronation Street to address both police bias and domestic abuse, how they interconnect, and Nizar’s victory over Metcalfe shows audiences in similar situations that they can get out, even if it seems impossible.
9. Central Characters: Ayanda Majola and Jousha Warren | Storyline: Ayanda was sexually assaulted by Joshua | Duration: 2019-2020 | Soap: Generations: The Legacy | Network: SACB1
Main characters Ayanda Majola (Samela Tyelbooi) and Joshua Warren (Sean Brebnor) on Generations: The Legacy, which airs on SACB1, were involved in a sexual abuse storyline from 2019-2020. On the SACB1 Soap Opera, Majola is a strong and savvy businesswoman who stands on business in her professional and personal life. When Warren sexually assaults her, Majola becomes a shell of her former self.
Majola was at a club when Warren spiked her drink and took advantage of her. The preceding events focused on Majola learning to cope with her assault, and seeking justice. A significant part of the arc was the fear that Warren would get away with the crime, highlighting real-world issues survivors of sexual assault often face with the justice system.
After some time, Majola came face-to-face with her attacker. She nearly shot Warren to death, but stopped herself and let the legal system get her justice. After a difficult fight, evidence was eventually found and presented, leading to Warren’s arrest and suicide in prison after being sexually assaulted himself.
Sexual assault was shown from unique perspectives in Generations: The Legacy. Majola’s reaction accurately portrayed the feelings and emotions of women who are sexually assaulted. Additionally, the storyline depicted how, as a Black woman who was assaulted by White man, Majola had to endure extra barriers in her pursuit of justice due to her race. Still, Majola persevered, and it worked out in her favor. The conclusion of the storyline emphasized the importance of speaking up and seeking justice, and with a dramatic twist, turned the tables when Warren was in the same situation himself.
8. Central Characters: Drucilla Winters, Neil Winters, and Devon Hamilton-Winters | Storyline: Dru and Neil adopt Devon | Duration: 2004-05 | Soap: The Young and the Restless | Network: CBS
Devon Hamilton-Winters (Bryton James) arrived in Genoa City in June 2004 as a homeless teenager. The Winters family, the core African-American family on The Young and the Restless, took him in. His eventual adoptive mother, Drucilla Winters (Victoria Rowell), sympathizes with Hamilton-Winters because she, too, was a product of the foster care system. Supercouple Dru and Neil Winters (Kristoff St. John) raise him with their daughter Lily Winters (Christel Khalil) and adopt him legally in December 2006. His introduction catalyzes the Soap Opera to address several interconnected social issues.
Hamilton-Winters came from a troubled childhood. He had to overcome challenges such as having a drug addict for a parent, bouncing in and out of the foster care system, and deafness. He contracted meningitis in 2006, which nearly killed him, leading to his hearing loss, but the disease brought his parents, who were on the verge of divorce, back together. However, his happiness is short-lived. Drucilla is presumed dead in 2007, only a few months after she and Neil legally adopt Hamilton-Winters.
Despite his struggles, Hamilton-Winters always lands on his feet. The key difference after the Winters family takes him in is that he no longer has to overcome any obstacles alone. With Dru, Neil, and Lily, he finally has a family who will be there for him no matter what.
The most significant impact of the introduction of Hamilton-Winters was how The Young and the Restless was able to tackle several social issues interconnectedly. The storyline of his adoption depicts the intersectionality of homelessness, drug addiction, mental health struggles, and the foster care system. Most importantly, the introduction of Hamilton-Winters shows viewers who may be in similar situations that there’s hope.
7. Central Characters: Mason Chen-Williams | Storyline: Incel | Duration: 2022-24 | Soap: Hollyoaks | Network: ITV
The British Soap Opera Hollyoaks addressed a current social issue that most American television shows have yet to depict. On the ITV Soap Opera, the character of Mason Chen-Williams (Frank Kauer) was groomed into becoming an incel by school janitor Eric Foster (Angus Castle-Doughty), after being taunted by his classmates and unable to make friends. During this time, he develops harmful beliefs about women and commits several questionable actions.
Under Foster’s advice, Chen-Williams registers for the online forum “Men First”, created by Foster. Chen-Williams joined the site with the intention of receiving dating advice, only to discover that misogyny was rampant on the site. Shortly after, Chen-Williams began spiking drinks of various women and documented the 'experience' on the site, even asking forum users to determine his next target.
One of Men First’s targets was Ella Richardson (Erin Palmer), whom Chen-Williams was crushing on. At a party, he tried kissing Richardson, but she rejected his advances. After launching a tirade of insults towards Richardson, Chen-Williams moved on to Leah Barnes (Ela-May Demircan), who stumbled into a room at the party drunk. Barnes previously insulted him in front of the whole party, and seeking revenge, Chen-Williams took an inappropriate photo of Barnes while she was passed out. He posts it on Men First and claims they slept together. However, he soon admits to that lie as Barnes was too intoxicated to consent.
Barnes discovered the photo Chen-Williams had posted, telling Charlie Dean (Charlie Behan), who was bullying Chen-Williams, and her stepfather, Ste Hay (Kieron Richardson. Dean confronted Chen-Wiliams in the park, stopping him, having found a worrying message from Eric - about leaving. He then attacked Chen Williams, beating him unconscious until Hay intervened.
Whilst recovering in hospital, Chen-Williams alerted his parents, Dave (Dominic Power) and Honour Chen-Williams (Vera Clark), to Foster’s siege at The Dog in the Pond, consequently leading them to discover his association with Foster and the photograph of Barnes. His sister, Serena Chen-Williams (Emma Lau), turns his laptop in to the police before leaving for Shanghai. Chen-Williams was ultimately charged with harassing Barnes. He faces the consequences and decides to change his ways. Chen-Williams cuts ties with Foster and attends a woman’s march, where he makes amends with Barnes.
The incel storyline on Hollyoaks was groundbreaking for its layered depiction of an ongoing issue that many people still don’t understand. Chen-Williams originally was only looking for a friend, but his vulnerability made him the perfect target for Foster. The ending of the storyline sends a positive message that, even though his actions can never be forgiven, Chen-Williams can still change his ways and find redemption when he faces the consequences of his actions and understands the impact of his actions.
6. Central Characters: Maya Avant | Storyline: Transgender revelation: | Duration: 2015 | Soap: The Bold and the Beautiful | Network: CBS
The character of Maya Avant (Karla Mosley) was introduced on the CBS Soap Opera The Bold and the Beautiful in 2013. Ex-con and model Avant comes to town looking for her daughter, who was put up for adoption by Dayzee Leigh (Kristolyn Lloyd). After the child is revealed to have died, Avant falls for fashion executive Rick Forrester (Jacob Young).
While Avant was pursuing Forrester, he was still married to Caroline Spencer (Linsey Godfrey). After successfully breaking them up, Avant settles into her cushy new life with Forrester, ruffling quite a few feathers along the way as she supports his ruthless business tactics. When Forrester proposes to her in 2015, Avant comes out as a trans woman, wanting her future husband to see her for who she is. When Avant believes Forrester is embarrassed by her, she runs away in her car, and he follows. As Avant questions if Forrester still wants to marry her over the phone, the call disconnects, leading her to believe he has rejected her, although he has actually crashed his car.
"It is about people respecting other people's differences and their uniqueness... In the end, we all want to be loved, and in order to love someone else you first have to love yourself. If you are transgender, gay, straight, it doesn't matter. It's about finding love in life. This is a love story." - Executive producer Bradley Bell on the story's purpose.
After reuniting with Forrester, Avant is confronted by her parents, Vivienne (Anna Maria Horsford) and Julius Avant (Obba Babatundé), who are worried about her influence on her sister, Nicole Avant (Reign Edwards). Avant has recently made amends with Nicole, and her mother has grown to accept her. However, Julius has a harder time with Avant’s identity, with his comments bordering on transphobia. Avant declares she is proud of who she is and doesn’t need anyone’s approval.
The introduction of Avant on The Bold and the Beautiful was a transformative time for daytime television. Avant was the first regular transgender character on an American Soap Opera, and the first transgender character on an American Soap Opera to get married. The revelation of her identity depicted what so many transgender people experience when they’re honest with their family, and occurred at a time when there was still very little information about the transgender struggle. Furthermore, as a Black woman, Avant struggled with additional obstacles when embracing her identity. However, the storyline was also met with controversy, as several critics and even Mosley herself questioned the casting of a cisgender woman for a trans woman role, worrying about authenticity.
5. Central Characters: Jessica Griffin and Duncan McKechnie | Storyline: Jessica and Duncan’s interracial relationship, marriage, and child | Duration: 1991-92 | Soap: As the World Turns | Network: CBS
Jessica Griffin (Tamara Tunie) and Duncan McKechnie (Michael Swan) were at the center of an interracial relationship on CBS’s As the World Turns, where it seemed like everyone in Oakdale was against the couple. Both their families objected to the relationship and refused to give their blessings for the wedding. Their relationship resulted in the birth of a child, Bonnie McKechnie.
Griffin and McKechnie’s relationship came at a time when McKechnie was grieving the death of his wife, Shannon O'Hara (Margaret Reed). He found solace with Griffin, as the two were friends long before their romantic relationship. For a while, it seemed like they had the perfect life, happily married with a newborn, but no couple stays happy for long in Oakdale.
In true Soap Opera fashion, it was discovered that O’Hara wasn’t really dead after all. O’Hara was suffering from amnesia, and her return from the dead left McKechnie, who thought he had moved on, conflicted. Ultimately, his love for O’Hara was too strong, and he and Griffin divorced.
Even though they didn’t get a happily ever after, Griffin and McKechnie’s relationship was a major storyline on As the World Turns. Interacial romances were still uncommon at the time in American media, and their relationship set As the World Turns apart from other soaps for its depiction. The reaction from both families mirrored what people often go through when being romantically involved with someone outside their race. Most importantly, Griffin and McKechnie didn’t care about what others said about their relationship and followed their hearts. The storyline allowed viewers in similar situations to see themselves represented on television.
4. Central Characters: Suki Panesar-Unwin, Eve Unwin, and Nish Panesar | Storyline: Suki’s sexuality struggle | Duration: 2022-25 | Soap: EastEnders | Network: BBC
The secret romance between Suki Panesar-Unwin (Balvinder Sopal) and Eve Unwin (Heather Peace) coincided with Panesar-Unwin’s abusive marriage to Nish Panesar (Navin Chowdhry) on EastEnders. Panesar-Unwin was introduced in 2020 and initially served as an antagonist on the BBC Soap Opera, but her abusive treatment by Panesar and her struggle with her sexuality painted her in a more vulnerable light. Her connection with Unwin was her saving grace as Panesar-Unwin struggled to break free of Panesar.
Panesar-Unwin bottled her feelings for women her whole life. She wasn’t just worried about others accepting her, but she didn’t know if she could accept herself. When Unwin tries to kiss Panesar-Unwin, she slaps Unwin due to her internalized homophobia. Additionally, she knew she could never be with Unwin, or anyone, while she was under Panesar’s control. Throughout the development of this storyline, viewers are given insight into Panesar-Unwin’s early behavior, as she had no choice but to maintain a tough exterior towards others after the way she was treated by Panesar.
Panesar is sent to prison in 2024 after confessing to the murder of Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters). The crime was actually committed by Linda Carter (Kellie Bright), but Panesar agreed to take the blame on the condition that Panesar-Unwin wouldn’t marry Unwin. In a final reign of terror, Panesar broke out of prison with plans to stop the nuptials and get his ex-wife back, who was supposed to marry Unwin on New Year’s Day 2025. He attempts to kill the happy couple as well as Denise Fox (Diane Parish). Defending them, Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara) pushes Panesar off a hotel roof to his death.
Panesar-Unwin and Unwin’s relationship on EastEnders was a slow-burning romance that kept audiences glued to their screen. Their power to overcome all the obstacles standing in their way showcases that love will always win. Panesar-Unwin’s struggle with her sexuality and eventual acceptance of herself showcases the LGBTQIA+ experience and allows viewers to see themselves reflected on screen in a positive light where they are accepted.
3. Central Characters: Olivia Winters-Hastings, Nathan Hastings, and Keesha Monroe | Storyline: HIV | Duration: 1994-95 | Soap: The Young and the Restless | Network: CBS
The long-running CBS soap opera addressed the social issue of HIV in the 90s with the characters Olivia Winters-Hastings (Tonya Williams), Nathan Hastings (Randy Brooks), and Keesha Monroe (Jennifer Gatti). In the storyline, Hastings has an affair with Monroe, who is initially unaware that she is HIV-positive, while he is married to Winters-Hastings. Hastings doesn’t contract the illness, but the damage is done to his marriage to Winters-Hastings.
Secrets ran amok in this love triangle. Not only was Hastings hiding his affair from his wife, but he was lying to Monroe as well. Hastings didn’t tell Monroe that he was married initially, but they continued the affair even after his revelation, unaware of the fatal consequences.
Soon thereafter, Monroe learns that her ex-boyfriend Stan has died from AIDS. After being tested by, of all people, Winters-Hastings (still unaware of the affair), Monroe discovers that she is also HIV-positive, and she breaks the news to Hastings. Drucilla Winters then decides to tell Winters-Hastings about the affair.
Realizing that Hastings has been unfaithful and has potentially exposed both her and their son to HIV, a furious Winters-Hastings throws him out, forbidding him ever to see their son again. Both of them and their son all turn out to be HIV-negative, but Monroe develops AIDS. Done with the affair, Monroe moves on with Malcolm Winters (Shemar Moore), and they marry on her deathbed.
The impact of the HIV/AIDS storyline on not just The Young and the Restless, but daytime television as a whole, can’t be understated. The storyline took place at the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States, when little information was known about the virus, and treatments weren’t as advanced as they are today. It was known as a death sentence at the time, and misinformation spread rapidly, with many people believing it was a “gay disease”. The experience of all three central characters showed viewers that anyone can be affected by the virus. This groundbreaking storyline opened people’s eyes by shattering stereotypes and increasing awareness about both HIV/AIDS and the LGBTQIA+ community.
2. Central Characters: Jesse Hubbard, Liza Colby, Angie Baxter, Greg Nelson, and Jenny Gardner | Storyline: Jesse is falsely accused of raping Liza Colby | Duration: 1981-82 | Soap: All My Children | Network: ABC
In the 1980s, the ABC soap opera All My Children addressed the topic of sexual assault and intertwined that with racial bias. In the storyline, Jesse Hubbard (Darnell Williams) confronted Liza Colby (Marcy Walker) over her harassment of his friend, Jenny Gardner (Kim Delaney). Gardner’s father, Ray Gardner (Gil Rodgers), was in prison for rape, although Gardner thought he was in jail for kidnapping. Colby threatened to reveal this information to Gardner’s boyfriend and Colby’s ex, Greg Nelson (Laurence Lau), if she didn’t break up with him, so Colby could be with Nelson, and Gardner ran away from Pine Valley to New York City. When Hubbard confronted Colby, he threatened to tell Nelson the truth about Gardner’s departure, and Colby accused him of attempted rape.
Hubbard was a wanted man and made his way to New York City to hide with Gardner. He got there just in time as an adult movie producer was accosting Gardner and trying to force her to be in a pornographic movie. His departure disrupted his blossoming romance with Angie Baxter (Debbi Morgan), who didn’t believe Colby’s allegations. Baxter came to Hubbard’s defense, confronting Colby and pleading with her to drop the charges. Hubbard and Gardner agreed to stand by each other and somehow find their way back to their loved ones in Pine Valley.
When Hubbard made it back to Pine Valley, he was spotted by Silver Kane (Deborah Goodrich), who turned him in for Colby’s attempted rape. The trial forced Gardner to come home and confront Colby, who eventually admitted the truth. Hubbard was set free, resuming his relationship with Baxter, and Gardner and Nelson got back together.
This false rape storyline on All My Children was a turning point for the soap and daytime television as a whole. Hubbard and Gardner’s summer in New York is considered one of the greatest storylines in the history of All My Children. Colby’s accusations highlighted racial bias by the police against Black people, and Colby exploited this bias for her own benefit. As a Black man, Hubbard felt he was guilty until proven innocent and felt there was no other option but to run away. Baxter and Gardner’s support for Hubbard displayed courage in the face of adversity, proving that, even at a young age, when you feel powerless, standing up for what’s right always makes a difference.
1. Central Characters: Carla Gray and Sadie Gray | Storyline: Carla passes for White | Duration: 1968 | Soap: One Life to Live | Network: ABC
Carla Gray (Ellen Holly) and her mother, Sadie Gray (Lillian Hayman), were involved in a groundbreaking and controversial storyline about race relations during the early days of ABC’s One Life to Live, when Carla passed as white. The daytime was one of the first of its genre to address such social issues at the time, and doing so was a major risk for a young serial still finding its audience. Most viewers are looking for an escape from reality, but One Life to Live proved they meant business and were going to depict issues people face day-to-day.
Carla was one of the original characters created for One Life to Live, debuting in Llanview on October 7, 1968, less than three months after the show's premiere. Recognized as the first Black lead character on an American daytime soap opera, Carla was a lighter-skinned Black American passing as a white woman (specifically an Italian American). In the storyline, Dr. Jim Craig (Robert Milli) begins treating a young woman named "Carla Benari," whose illness seems to be psychosomatic — her physical symptoms stem from some unstated mental conflict. Carla begins working as Jim's receptionist, and very quickly starts dating Black American resident physician Price Trainor (Peter DeAnda). ABC received several angry letters decrying the portrayal of a Black man dating a seemingly white woman.
"A woman came to town with a mystery. Everybody knew she was important because she was on almost every day of the week. So they knew that she was going to be some kind of major story, but they couldn't figure out what she was gonna be, because she wasn't the usual blonde, blue-eyed leading female. She looked very...exotic. And she had this exotic name, Carla Benari."
—Ellen Holly on the beginnings of her One Life to Live character.
Carla runs into her mother at the Wolek family apartment, where Sadie works as the manager of housekeeping. It is then revealed, only to the audience, that Carla is Black and she is Sadie’s daughter, who was originally believed to be dead. Sadie was furious to learn that her daughter was pretending to be white, as Sadie knew about Carla's whereabouts before her arrival and instead let people think Carla was dead, as opposed to actively living with the shame of a daughter who denied her heritage. Carla herself is mortified to know Sadie already knows the truth — but not enough to end her ruse. Although heartbroken after their first encounter in years, Sadie chooses not to reveal her daughter's secret.
"[In] the fifth month in which everybody's invested all their energy in learning about these people for these five months, that day, on a Friday — deliberately chosen for Friday — the cameras started following a whole bunch of people during their daily [routines], including Carla and Sadie...And at the end of the day, five minutes before that, Sadie and Carla Benari meet in front of Anna Wolek's door. [Sadie's] visiting her neighbor. [Carla's] going there for some other reason. They stand there and they look at each other and Sadie looks at me and says, "Clara!" And I say, "Mama!" Cut to black! Well, everybody got on the phone that week: "Did you see that on Friday? Clara, that dead girl, that was supposed to...?" ...The world checked in on Monday to get the backstory. The backstory was that she was an actress and she wanted to be a big star and she went to the bright lights of the big city and found out nobody could give a damn, and also it wasn't helpful to be Black, so she started passing for white, and that didn't do too well either, and she ended up on some lousy bus-and-truck tour that had come back to town."
Carla becomes the central figure in a love triangle between Craig and Trainor. She eventually reveals her true racial identity to Craig, who not only accepts her but proposes marriage and agrees to go along with her ruse. Carla briefly accepts the proposal but eventually returns Craig’s ring after realizing she would only be marrying him to keep perpetuating a lie. After breaking up with Craig, Carla comes clean to everyone in Llanview about her true heritage, including Trainor, who is initially furious with her but gives her one more chance until he accepts a job overseas, leaving Llanview in 1970. Carla mends fences with her mother, who stresses that she must be proud of her heritage, and Carla changes her name back to Gray, embracing her identity.
The fact that the character was actually Black was not revealed to the show's audience until about five months after Holly debuted in the role. The revelation was a major shock to viewers, and the controversy attracted considerable attention; ratings for the then-fledgling soap shot up. Debuting with a 5.3 rating, figures rose during its first year by more than a million to a 6.4, and increased to a 6.7 rating during the 1969-70 season.
The storyline of Carla Gray passing for White was a groundbreaking and genre-defining storyline for daytime television and One Life to Live specifically. A complicated arc with several layers, it opened viewers’ eyes to how ignorant the world is about race. It was an early example of colorism before the issue was the hot topic it is today, as the residents of Llanview immediately saw Carla as White simply because she had lighter skin, emphasizing that caucasian was still the standard in several cities. The conclusion of the storyline sends a positive message of acceptance for both oneself and others. The impact on the serial itself can’t be understated, as One Life to Live debuted at the bottom of the Nielsen ratings and rose to 14th place out of the 19 soaps on the air during its second year, a ratings success that continued until the early 1980s.
