Black Women Take Over Comic Con (Recap)

During this year’s Comic-Con we’ve seen a vast increase in kick-ass Black women leading the charge in-front of and behind the camera on major shows – from Cartoon Network’s Steven Universe (singer Estelle) to HBO’s Watchmen (Regina King). Furthermore ethnic and gender diversity along with body-representation are now being highlighted at this major pop-culture event, which has historically been a very male-dominated convention. Here’s a quick round up below. 

1)       Dove x Estelle for Cartoon Network’s Steven Universe: Cartoon Network’s Steven Universe is well-known for its diverse set of characters and inclusive storylines – most recently making headlines with an adorable same-sex marriage proposal. Creator Rebecca Sugar and musician Estelle (and the voice of Garnet!) joined Dove at Comic-Con to chat about the impact of the show – see some photos here. At the “Superheroes of Body Positivity Panel” the women opened up about their own body image and how they hope the show helps the next generation of women.

• “My body works, it’s gorgeous. It gets me from point A to point B. If someone doesn’t like my body, that’s too bad.”– Estelle
• NEW Song released at Comic-Con written by Estelle and Rebecca Sugar

2)      Mara Brock-Akil for CW’s Black Lightening: The cast and executive producers of Black Lightning took the stage at Comic-Con to thunderous applause on Saturday. Series co-creator Mara Brock-Akil said that she and her husband and fellow co-creator Salim Akil made a point of making the CW superhero series a celebration of Black Americans.

• “Celebrating our culture is important to remind us that we are also a part of the fabric of American culture. Tracking our history and our path is important.” – Mara Brock Akil

3)      Regina King (Watchmen) & Amandla Stenberg (The Darkest Mind) and More for EW’s “Women Who Kick Ass Panel”: The panel, which included two Black women, a Latina woman, a half-Chinese woman and a British woman, dove deep into the current climate for women in Hollywood and beyond. The amount of thoughtfulness and wisdom from this panel was incredible as they spoke about their experiences in the industry and growth of opportunities as well as the obstacles that still exist for women.

• Regina King (Watchmen), Amandla Stenberg (The Darkest Mind),  Chloe Bennet (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Camila Mendes (Riverdale), and Jodie Whittaker (Doctor Who) 
• “There weren’t many like me kicking ass. I was a Lynda Carter fan.  Even though Wonder Woman was wearing a skimpy outfit, she had ownership and confidence that exuded female strength.” – Regina King
• “The topic of “strong female roles” is tricky. There’s an awareness I have. I create representation because of the accessibility I have. When it comes to these roles there is a give and take game. We continue to sacrifice in order to see the representation we want.” ­–  Amandla Stenberg