Evolution of POC in Media
“Rather, it is the contention of this issue that sf and sf studies have much to learn from the experience of technoculture that Afrofuturist texts register across a wide range of media; and that sf studies, if it is to be at all radical, must use its position of relative privilege to provide a home for excluded voices without forcing assimilation upon them.” (Bould, 2007)
Growing up watching cartoons and movies I’ve never really thought about the race of the characters. Now looking back, I have noticed that most characters playing a scientist or a superhero were typically white. There would sometimes be one person of color in some of these shows/movies but didn’t play the main role. An example of this would be Frozo from the Incredibles. There is still a misrepresentation of this in science today. People of color often are overlooked in the stem field.
Afrofuturism allows people of color to be more integrated in the mix of an all white dominant spectrum. Showing people of color in leading, empowered roles in movies, can inspire and motivate the youth and more specifically people of color to have a role model. Growing up, most of the movies, like Spiderman or Superman, were roles given to white males. This discouraged me and tons of other people from thinking I can be like one of these amazing and talented people. It’s extremely important to have role models that you can look up to and aspire to be one day.
I’ve noticed over the years that people of color are slowly taking on bigger roles in movies and shows. Although we are not where we should be yet as a society and what is shown in the media, we are closer than we once were in the past. There has slowly become an increased presence of people of color throughout tv, movies, and commercials. Afrofuturism has made this transition come to be and we can only hope it continues to thrive in this way. Everyone should feel represented in their favorite shows or have a character that they can personally relate to.
Science fiction is what drives curiosity and gages to a larger audience for science. Oftentimes, these crazy ideas in books and shows drive children to careers in the stem field based on what they see and read. I remember watching Jimmy Neutron as a child and was so interested in how he thought very hard on a particular idea and managed to achieve his goals. Most science fiction tends to have a deeper meaning than what is actually portrayed, I learned that if you put your mind to it then you can achieve almost anything you desire.
Work Cited:
Bould, M. (2007). The Ships Landed Long Ago: Afrofuturism and Black SF. Greencastle, IN: SF-TH. p 177–186
