“History is a living, breathing thing that is made simply by the passing seconds,” “Mixed-ish” showrunner Karin Gist writes of Black History Month in a guest column for Variety. “Every day we all get up and make history. Every single act is a piece of history.” As such, Gist herself is contributing to black history by making television featuring a wide array of complex, compelling black characters. “Every day I have the privilege of waking up and making TV that celebrates who we are and what we have,” the veteran writer-producer says.

“Mixed,” a spin-off of “Black-ish,” is a sitcom about an interracial couple and their family, told from the perspective of their mixed-race tween daughter. Gist has also helped craft specific, three-dimensional black characters for series such as “Girlfriends,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Star,” and “House of Lies.”

“Each of these shows has allowed me to make heroes out of ordinary black folks and be a part of black history on television,” the BET Comedy Award winner writes. “I get to celebrate the humanity of black people through characters that look like my cousins, play cousins, aunts, and uncles. I get to see them laugh and cry, fight and make up. And I get to put that on television. That is a blessing and I take it very seriously.”

According to Gist, representation of black stories and experiences, on television in this case, is what drives black history. She argues, “It’s about pushing our stories forward, saying something surprising and maybe even a little naughty sometimes. It’s about being as honest as possible on the page. It’s about telling stories about the best of us and delving into characters that might feel like the worst of us because that’s what real humanity is,” she observes.

But making black history means focusing on real life, too. It’s not enough to give fictional black communities a boost. “Black history is also about making sure that we are continuing to make history behind the scenes by bringing up more writers of color and supporting the work that we all do. It’s about being a piece of history for younger writers to see,” Gist emphasizes. “It’s about knowing that there is room for all of us to make history.”

“Mixed-ish” airs Tuesdays on ABC. “Revenge,” “One Tree Hill,” and “Undercovers” are also among Gist’s credits. She’s received five NAACP Image Award nominations for her TV writing.

Head over to Variety to read Gist’s column in full.