On -isms: BHM Comic Suggestion

By | Thursday, February 16, 2017 Leave a Comment
One of the semi-common refrains among those in support of Black History Month is that it's only one month. When weighed against the centuries of oppression, which continues in various forms to this day, one month is hardly long enough. (And it's the shortest month at that!) So here's a quick suggestion that might help you in your ongoing appreciation of Black people's place in American history...

One day every week (pick a day of your choosing), make a point of finding a comic by a Black person that you like. Whether it's a newspaper comic, a webcomic, a monthly pamphlet book, whatever... just find one comic created by a Black person that you like for whatever reason(s). It doesn't have to be about the Black experience, or have a political edge to it, or anything. Just find a comic you happen to like that happens to be created by a Black person. (If you need help finding something, you can start with something obvious like what's listed in Wikipedia or get more options from the Cartoonists of Color database.)

Then, and here's the important part, read it. Like, all of it. Track down the first installment (or the first installment by that Black creator if it was started by someone else) and commit to reading through everything. Maybe it was a monthly comic book that only lasted six issues, but maybe it's an ongoing newspaper comic that's been running for 30 years. But commit to reading all of it, whatever is available.

And, if it's still going on, keep reading it. Support that creator by buying their books, or whatever they have available. If they're still alive and still working on the comic, send them a note of appreciation. It doesn't have to be elaborate, "Hey, man, I like your comic," is fine.

But the idea is to use Black History Month as a springboard for a longer, extended appreciation of Black creators and their work. It's a way to see a larger scope of their work and, hopefully, turn you into an evangelist for their work.
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