The creative team of âThe Upshawsâ took great care to avoid focusing on Black trauma thatâs so deftly explored in âWhen They See Usâ and âI May Destroy You.â Instead co-creators Regina Hicks and Wanda Sykes and executive producer Mike Epps wanted to make a normal show about a normal middle-class Black family. âItâs about time we were able to tell the truth,â Epps, who also stars as Bennie Upshaw, told the Daily News of the Netflix sitcom, premiering Wednesday. âThereâs a little drama on the show but for the most part, weâre giving people a chance to see that there are Black families out there that know how to function through all the dysfunction and still enjoy each other and love each other.â