Wakanda Forever.

As a little girl, I was a superhero fanatic. I watched Wonder Woman, the Super Friends and every hero show I could.  I started collecting comics when I was about 15, and still have a huge box of them in my closet.  Wonder Woman was my favorite from the beginning, and she still is. Superman is a close second. The very first comic book I bought with my own money was an issue of the Teen Titans, and that was the first time I saw a Black female comic character. Bumblebee was introduced in 1976, and the name "Melissa" means "Honeybee", so I was absolutely entranced. Storm from the X-Men was a close second, as I admired her strength and intelligence as well as the bad ass way she delivered a beat down. Soon after I discovered that my ultimate superhero, Wonder Woman, had a Black twin sister named Nubia, who was sculpted from Black Clay as Diana was formed from White Clay. 

Bumblebee courtesy of DC Universe

Comic strips were the first to introduce Black characters, but they were portrayed using the traditional "Mammy" or sidekick stereotypes. In the 1940's, there were some very problematic Black comic side characters, such as "Whitewash" in Timely Comics, which was a predecessor to Marvel.  A Black character didn't take the main stage until 1966, when Jack Kirby and Stan Lee introduced the Black Panther in Fantastic Four #52. 1966 was smack in the middle of the Civil Rights movement and racial strife, and Kirby/Lee have always been proponents of equality and acceptance.  Who would have thought 2 Jewish guys would have the forethought to change comic book history as we know it? Both DC and Marvel Comics hold their Black Heroes in places of honor. 

A photo of Nubia drawn by the amazing Terry Huddleston


When Chadwick Bozeman took over the mantle of Black Panther, the entire world saw the power of a Black superhero. Even though there had been characters portrayed before, never before had there been a film with a Black Lead, a Black Director and a mostly Black cast. Black Panther set more records than any solo superhero movie in history.  Little girls wanted to be Shuri and members of the Dora Milaje. Little boys wanted to be T'Challa. When Chadwick Bozeman lost his battle with cancer, the world mourned. We felt like we lost a member of our family. The impact that he made on Black culture, not only for his portrayal of the Black Panther, but other iconic performances, will never be forgotten. 



Following in the iconic footsteps of Black Panther and Storm, there were characters such as Luke Cage, Falcon, John Stewart (who took the mantle of Green Lantern), Blade, Spawn, Nick Fury, Cyborg, Miles Morales and a host of others.  And one of my personal favorites (for anyone who knows my connection to dinosaurs)... Moon Girl. 

Moon Girl

There are so many amazing Black characters out there, take the time to learn more about them and the history of how they came to be. 

https://www.dw.com/en/a-brief-history-of-black-superheroes-in-comics/a-54065060




 

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