Tessering Beyond Wakanda: How Black Creators Can Channel Our Excitement into Future Success
Be a Warrior.
Be a creative and tell a story that needs to be told, or be the consumer that buys the story that you so desperately wanted. Either way, let’s not let the sun set on the time to push creatives of color and stories that matter. And for the record, every story that we can and want to tell matters, whether they are rooted in fantasy or in history. The time to make sure they are seen is now.
We all know that when it comes to Hollywood, numbers talk. With the successes of Black Panther and shows like Insecure, Atlanta and The Chi, the numbers are speaking to a desire for more diverse storytelling. As a creative, there are more platforms for safely sharing your work and expertise. For example, with the launch of advocate April Reign’s database Akuarel, Hollywood now has a resource to connect to marginalized creatives in order to achieve the necessary diversity in major projects. It’s a step into a future where we can actually see ourselves more on-screen. Creating tools like these, along with safe networking spaces, is a must.
Sharing each other’s works, both on-screen and off, is imperative because if we don’t support the content we want to see we will end up seeing less of it. Sharing it with next generation is a big stepping stone to creating more creatives. Many of the fundraisers for these movies – such as the #BlackPantherChallenge and the #WrinkleInTimeChallenge – have done so well, and there should be more of that. We should also support youth organizations like Black Girls Code and even our local Boys and Girls Club by volunteering and sharing our own creative gifts. Because the next Ava DuVernay, Ryan Coogler, or Tomi Adeyemi could be right in front of us. We need to channel some of the same energy used to support major projects into nurturing young potential talent.
If you are a creative, take the energy and joy gained while experiencing Black Panther and channel it into your own art form. We should the resources that we may not have known were available to us. Go to your local writing workshops, photography classes and use one of the many apps to network and meet more creatives, such as Overlap. Look into working/apprenticeship opportunities with local or small press, or consider self publishing and online marketing of your skills. With the right support, we have the chance to keep telling the stories that matter to us.
If you are an actor, writer, artist, photographer, director, designer, web designer, hone your craft and network it. And as a consumer, if you read an amazing book or see a world-changing play, tell a friend. Better yet, take a friend. Nerd out about it together, write out why this meant something and share it. We have more platforms available to us now then we did 10 years ago. So share your passion and use your light to either shine upwards and on others. Let’s nerd out about things that set our souls on fire.
About the Author
Ashlee Doris is a cosplayer from the east coast and nerd girl writer and panelist. Nyx Wolff Cosplay. Follow @badwolfreigns
