‘Power Rangers’ Star Walter Emanuel Jones Says Playing Black Ranger Was “an Honor” Despite Show’s Writer Calling His Casting “a Mistake”

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As a die-hard fan, I stand tall with pride, knowing that I was the first Black Power Ranger, Walter Emanuel Jones, even if the show’s previous writer may hold different opinions.

The actor famous for playing the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers’ Black Ranger expressed his pride at having originated the role back in 1993, despite Tony Oliver, the original show writer, later stating that casting him was an error.

On a recent Instagram post on Wednesday, he admitted that playing a Black character as the Black Ranger might appear as cultural inconsideration to some. However, he emphasized that his casting wasn’t an oversight; instead, it represented a significant achievement.

Jones acknowledged the urge to handle potential cultural insensitivity in his post. Instead of labeling it a ‘misstep,’ he felt it was crucial to recognize the profound influence it had on many people worldwide who found inspiration and representation in the first Black superhero on TV, the Black Power Ranger.

Jones’ reaction followed Oliver confessing his regret about choosing to portray “the Black character as the Black Ranger and the Asian character as the Yellow Ranger” in the third episode of the Investigation Discovery’s Hollywood Demons series, which he deemed a mistake.

In March, on Jim Cumming’s “Too’d In” podcast, he elaborated more about his experience on Power Rangers. He mentioned that not being in the black suit never made him uncomfortable. However, he found it peculiar when Thuy Trang replaced Audri Dubois as the Yellow Ranger on the show.

He found it peculiar because initially, the Yellow Ranger was Latina, and he thought nothing of him wearing the black suit as the Black ranger. However, when Thuy Trang joined, she was an Asian character in the yellow suit, which seemed unusual to him.

Nevertheless, the performer pointed out that he felt the roles were “attempted to be shaped into something biased.” He continued, “I believe what transpired was as children grew older, they thought it was amusing, and they transformed it into something that was never intended.

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2025-04-10 23:24