Minorities in Comics and Other Media, etc

[CliffHanger2]

Just curious as to what you found disturbing.

His relationships with his kids most of all. Even Tyler Perry blew him up. The way they were talking to each other nah man...

[Agent Z]

Africans in China Say Police Have Told Them to Stop Sharing Stories About Racial Discrimination: Report

A Ugandan woman who filmed a racist encounter at a Guangdong, China 7-Eleven earlier this month says Chinese police officers visited her shortly afterward demanding she delete the video.

As BuzzFeed reports, Darasa (who wasn’t identified by her full name to protect her from possible retribution) is one of multiple Africans currently living in China who spoke to the outlet about their experiences being visited by the police after sharing videos of racist, xenophobic harassment and abuse. Anti-African discrimination and harassment made international news earlier in April after the country experienced a resurgence in coronavirus infections. China, where the novel coronavirus was first discovered, had curbed its coronavirus cases after hitting a peak in February; officials said the new outbreaks came from foreign travelers arriving from foreign countries. China had also recently relaxed travel restrictions within the country.

Though it hasn’t been reported which country or countries the outbreak stemmed from, African migrants became scapegoats among some Chinese residents and businesses. The most well-known case of discrimination thus far came from a Guangzhou McDonalds, which posted a sign explicitly stating “black people are not allowed to the restaurant.”

https://www.theroot.com/africans-in-...sha-1843179562

[A Small Talent For War]

Africans in China Say Police Have Told Them to Stop Sharing Stories About Racial Discrimination: Report



https://www.theroot.com/africans-in-...sha-1843179562

It is ironic as during the Cold War, the USSR would point to racial tensions in the United States (at the height of the Civil Rights movement) as evidence that their communist system was socially superior.

[Agent Z]

https://themiddlespaces.com/2015/03/...-not-included/

Back when I first read this article I agreed with it for the most part. Now, while I think it has some good points, I also feel it accentuates the negatives when it comes to Cyborg in some parts and reflects some troubling notions about black masculinity which a lot of Cyborg's detractors have parroted.

[CliffHanger2]

https://themiddlespaces.com/2015/03/...-not-included/

Back when I first read this article I agreed with it for the most part. Now, while I think it has some good points, I also feel it accentuates the negatives when it comes to Cyborg in some parts and reflects some troubling notions about black masculinity which a lot of Cyborg's detractors have parroted.

The messed up thing is David Walker fixed a lot of Cyborg's problems. He was able to take human form and have normal relationships. But after his run editorial came in and erased all that which was pretty racist. I feel like the article reaches a little in some points but the brunt of it rings true.

[Overhazard]

Cyborg is just in dire need of a redesign, one that actually sticks. One that makes him look more like the characters from Cyborg 009 than Robocop.

[A Small Talent For War]

Cyborg is just in dire need of a redesign, one that actually sticks. One that makes him look more like the characters from Cyborg 009 than Robocop.

That is an interesting point. It is funny though that Cyborg 009 actually dates back to the 60's, but the 80's had an interesting movement toward externalizing the bionic parts. Even the Six Million Dollar Man - the most popular cyborg in fiction at the time - looked like a normal person. Personally, I think Cyborg's design was more influenced by Marvel's Deathlok/ Luther Manning who was also one of the more prominent African American heroes to emerge in the 70's. Interesting that Luther Manning, Vic Stone and later Al Simmons would all be African American heroes who were initially disfigured and then resurrected. Only Stone was easily identifiable as a black man even though half his face was metal.

Deathlok was one of my favorite characters when I started reading comics in the 70's even though he had a very short run of his own stories.

[Agent Z]

While I do think DC has made some mistakes with Cyborg, I feel like the argument that he isn't an escapist character is a misguided one. Firstly, it doesn't mean he is a bad character. Secondly, not every superhero is an escapist character. Ben Grimm, Peter Parker, Matt Murdock, the Doom Patrol and a bunch of others aren't escapist heroes and are still popular and have good stories told about them. You shouldn't be looking at Bruce Wayne or Clark Kent as a template for Cyborg stories because he isn't those characters (which isn't a knock against him) but focus on what makes him different from them.

[CliffHanger2]

While I do think DC has made some mistakes with Cyborg, I feel like the argument that he isn't an escapist character is a misguided one. Firstly, it doesn't mean he is a bad character. Secondly, not every superhero is an escapist character. Ben Grimm, Peter Parker, Matt Murdock, the Doom Patrol and a bunch of others aren't escapist heroes and are still popular and have good stories told about them. You shouldn't be looking at Bruce Wayne or Clark Kent as a template for Cyborg stories because he isn't those characters (which isn't a knock against him) but focus on what makes him different from them.

I think the issue is the disproportionate amount of white escapist heroes vs. black ones. And why Cyborg is pushed over others that could be more satisfying.

[Agent Z]

I think the issue is the disproportionate amount of white escapist heroes vs. black ones. And why Cyborg is pushed over others that could be more satisfying.

There's a disproportionate amount of white heroes vs black ones period. I don't see these characters as better or worse because of their escapism potential and as I said, that really shouldn't matter as long as the character is written well. The issue is having more than one black character get focus and that has been an issue with DC for decades long before Cyborg became a League member.

[jetengine]

Theres also the issue that giving him a human form erases his disability, cause (even with the most generous origin) he's still missing a few limbs and an eye. What we need for Cyborg is for them to jump into his stories, no focusing on the tired "What am I" bs. Let him be a fun, likable character. Every now and then focus on his tragedy but dont make it define him.

[ed2962]

That is an interesting point. It is funny though that Cyborg 009 actually dates back to the 60's, but the 80's had an interesting movement toward externalizing the bionic parts. Even the Six Million Dollar Man - the most popular cyborg in fiction at the time - looked like a normal person. Personally, I think Cyborg's design was more influenced by Marvel's Deathlok/ Luther Manning who was also one of the more prominent African American heroes to emerge in the 70's. Interesting that Luther Manning, Vic Stone and later Al Simmons would all be African American heroes who were initially disfigured and then resurrected. Only Stone was easily identifiable as a black man even though half his face was metal.

Deathlok was one of my favorite characters when I started reading comics in the 70's even though he had a very short run of his own stories.

Luther Manning was actually white. The next Deathlok, Michael Collins was black.

[ed2962]

There's a disproportionate amount of white heroes vs black ones period. I don't see these characters as better or worse because of their escapism potential and as I said, that really shouldn't matter as long as the character is written well. The issue is having more than one black character get focus and that has been an issue with DC for decades long before Cyborg became a League member.

I wouldn't even say that he's the only black character DC focuses on, but by default he and John Stewart are the most popular so I can sort of see why Vic might come under tighter scrutiny.

However, Cyborg supposedly not being a wish fulfilment character shouldn't be the end of the discussion. I mean, what about all the other black characters they have? I think the real question is why is it that the general audience will watch a Black Lightning TV show, but the comics fans won't buy a BL comic? Why will the general audience watch cartoons with Vixen and Bumblebee but comics fans won't buy their comics? John Stewart gets love from comics fans, but they don't want to touch Naomi or House of Whispers or The Terrifics?

[CliffHanger2]

There's a disproportionate amount of white heroes vs black ones period. I don't see these characters as better or worse because of their escapism potential and as I said, that really shouldn't matter as long as the character is written well. The issue is having more than one black character get focus and that has been an issue with DC for decades long before Cyborg became a League member.

Well it matters because there is so few choices. From Cyborg to Detta Walker black heroes being scarred, disfigured, crazy.etc. is definitely a thing. You got characters like John Stewart and Static that get shelved even though they're popular.

[Agent Z]

Well it matters because there is so few choices. From Cyborg to Detta Walker black heroes being scarred, disfigured, crazy.etc. is definitely a thing. You got characters like John Stewart and Static that get shelved even though they're popular.

Who's Detta Walker?