Women’s Center student staff member Prachi reflects on her lifelong hobby of reading comic books and how inclusive comic books as well as how inclusive their industry has been for women, particularly women of color. 

I have been a superhero comic book fan, on and off, for about 13 years – beginning with checking out Spider-Man and Fantastic Four comics from the public library in elementary. At that young age, it didn’t occur to me in explicit terms that comic books, their industry, and their fans often excluded or mistreated women, people of color, and LGBT people. Instead, I felt a sense of shame and guilt whenever someone commented on my comic book reading, feeling like something was not “right” with me for being a young girl that loved comic book superheroes.

Imagine my joy when, on a whim, I decided to check out Runaways from the library. Runaways follows the story of a group of teenagers who band together after finding out that their parents are part of an ancient evil conspiracy and details their struggles to survive, a typical over-the-top comic book plot, but an entertaining one. In its pages, I found a diverse cast of characters with girls like me. Girls who could be superheroes, but could also be fully-rounded, human characters that weren’t just valued for their bodies or used only to further the plot of their male love interest. For example, the de facto leader of the team was Nico Minoru, an Asian-American teenager, and she was portrayed as a three-dimensional character with strengths and weaknesses that I could relate to. Although Runaways was definitely not perfect (and is there such a thing as a perfect form of media?), it helped me to feel more included in the world of comic book superheroes.

Kamala Khan, the title character of Ms. Marvel is proof of how powerful representation in superhero comics can be.

Even though I have consumed too many comic books to count over the course of the last 13 years, I have found that the stories that I keep coming back to are the ones that recognize and promote diversity and representation of marginalized groups. My personal favorites have been Runaways (2005), Batwoman: Elegy (2011) Young Avengers (2013), Ms. Marvel (2014), Midnighter (2015), and Black Panther (2016); however, there are several great series out there. There are also a few series I am looking forward to like the Rebirth Batwoman series and the new America Chavez series. 

Especially in this political climate, immersing myself in stories that help me escape from the world but are also representative of the diversity of the real world can be a form of self-care. Conversely, reading story after story that objectifies or “fridges” women, draws on racist tropes, and/or mistreats LGBT characters is the opposite of a break from the real world, and can make readers like me feel even more downtrodden. Even though issues like comic books or video games may seem trivial, media can be very significant in shaping the way that we perceive the world around us, other people, and ourselves.

“It’s important to remember that these comics don’t exist in a vacuum, that they are created by writers and artists who live in the same sexist social systems we all do and that’s reflected by the characters and the stories.” – Feminist Frequency

Media can also become a platform through which marginalized people can express our voices and experiences. The diversity of comic book creators is an integral part of any conversation about diversity in comic books. Although this does not hold true for every single series, I have found that the stories with the strongest emotional impact and most realistic representation have creators that have had experiences similar to the characters they are writing. For example, the first run of Ms. Marvel, a series about a Pakistani-American Muslim teenage girl becoming a superhero, was written by an American Muslim woman and edited by a Pakistani-American woman, and the 2015 Midnighter series, a series about an openly gay superhero, was written by a bisexual man. This ties into my earlier point about how marginalized people must be a part of media representation at all stages in the process. Diversity of characters on the page is not enough; we must also have diversity of thought (warning for a lengthy video, but hey, it’s Idris Elba).

One of my favorite heroes is Jessica Cruz, a Green Lantern and a woman of color who struggles with anxiety. It is refreshing seeing someone who faces similar struggles as me being the headliner on a mainstream book, and in-universe, being a superhero. (Green Lanterns #15 – 2017) – Click for enlarged pages!

If you want to get into comics, it can be a daunting task, especially on a budget. Going to a comic book store for the first time can be a scary experience due to misogyny among comic book fans. This tumblr lists comic book stores across the United States (including Maryland) that are inclusive of women, LGBT, and people of color fans. Philadelphia also hosts the only shop on the East Coast owned by a Black woman, that has been praised for how welcoming it is to fans, both old and new. The public library is also a great place to get older comic books, so break out those library cards! Comic books can also be consumed from the comfort of your own home. Comixology and Marvel Unlimited are two digital services that offer access to digital copies of comics for a price, but often have sales. Alternatively, you can order print editions or buy ebook editions from Amazon, which often has discounts. It can be hard to know where to start with the tangled continuities and relaunches of superhero comic books, but my advice is to just pick up something that looks interesting to you and then use Google/Wikipedia to fill in any gaps.

I am hopeful that as we continue to support stories about and by people with marginalized identities, superhero comic books will continue to become more inclusive and accurately represent the people that they inspire. Somewhere out there, there’s a little brown girl picking up her first comic book, seeing herself in Riri Williams or Kamala Khan, and being proud of her love of superheroes. Everyone deserves that feeling.  

More Reading

• Who Gets to be a Superhero? Race and Identity in Comics
• Roundtable of Asian Creators: The State of Asian Representation in Comics
• What if the X-Men Were Black?
• Racebending and Representation in Comic Books
• Drawn to Comics: DC Comics Bombshells Brings Queer Women-Led History
• Comics and Human Rights: An Interview with G. Willow Wilson (creator of Kamala Khan)

Recommendations – click to enlarge for more information, and keep in mind that this is, by no means, representative of everything that’s out there.

Be sure to check out our upcoming #MediaMondays on Instagram (@womencenterumbc) for more comic recommendations from me and other media recs from other Women’s Center staff members!

Congratulations to the Spring 2017 Council!

President: Zuhair Riaz

Vice President: Summer Akhtar

Treasurer: Justin Conner

Secretary: Curtis Meggit

Students interested in becoming involved with the COM can contact Zuhair at riaz1@umbc.edu

Tuesday, February 28 at 6:30p, Public Policy Building room 441

Learn about the UMBC Master’s in Public Policy (MPP), combined BA/MPP degree, and PhD program

Dinner is included!

To register and for directions/ parking information please send your name, year, and major to Sally Helms (helms@umbc.edu)
Find out more about the School of Public Policy at publicpolicy.umbc.edu

The Women’s Center’s Spring Roundtable series has begun! On February 14th, we hosted the first of our three-part roundtable “Underrepresentation of Women in…” series. This roundtable was on “Women in Politics” and focused on the lack of women in the political sphere and the establishment.

For this discussion, our panelists were Political Science professor Lisa Vetter, Language Literacy and Culture student Colonel Ingrid Parker, and student staff member Kayla Smith.

The discussion opened with a question about gendered communication and how to express femininity in a workspace that’s male dominated. Kayla and Colonel Parker both agreed that being a “chameleon,” or being fluid in how they present themselves based on their audience, has worked for them in the past. 

The conversation then turned to Hillary Clinton’s presidential loss. The suggestion was made that the glass ceiling was now higher than it had previously been as a result of someone as qualified as Clinton losing to someone as seemingly unqualified as President Trump. People in politics may be more scared to back women running for office because women don’t seem to get the votes to take office. Therefore the goal of making a woman president is even more elusive. Furthermore, after learning that some women need to be asked more than five times to run for office, there was some concern that Clinton’s loss would discourage more women from entering the political sphere for fear of disappointment; however, Colonel Parker reminded everyone that the next step should be to stay hopeful and push forward no matter what happens. 

When Jess Myers asked about the silencing of Elizabeth Warren on the Senate floor during the confirmation of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Kayla pointed out that the silencing of Elizabeth Warren was really the silencing of Coretta Scott King. Kayla went on to explain that, because her feminism is intrinsically connected to her race, it’s impossible for her to ignore the ramifications she faces in the establishment due to being a black woman. 

When the discussion was opened up to the audience, a student asked a question about coping with the effects of mental health when looking at barriers to women in politics. Colonel Parker spoke about the benefits of finding coping mechanisms like eating well, spending time with family, and working out. Kayla suggested finding supportive groups of women to help and uplift you in the face of adversity. Women’s Center Assistant Director Megan Tagle Adams added that it isn’t always enough for their to be more women in a space but that they should also be supportive of women excelling instead of engaging in “mean girl” tactics.

Another audience member asked Kayla what her opinion was on changing the establishment to include women and people of color to which she responded, “It’s important for people to be educated. They need to learn that our government and political system is built on white supremacy, racism, and sexism. Nothing will change until people understand where we started and that those things still play a major role in our system.”

Overall, the subject of women’s underrepresentation in politics is vast and complicated and while we barely scratched the surface in this hour long discussion, we did our best to open the dialogue and get people talking and thinking.

Want more information? Below are some links further discussing women, the establishment, and politics.

• Almost 1 in 5 Congress Members Are Women. Here’s How Other Jobs Compare
• For Women in Politics, the Glass Ceiling Is Now Higher Than Ever
• Women and the Labyrinth of Leadership (an older article but we liked the imagery of the labyrinth; speaks to women + leadership in general)

So has this discussion fired you up? Are you interested in running for office (public, school, or otherwise)? Have you heard about Elect Her? Elect Her is a leadership program that encourages and trains college women to run for student government and future political office

There is an an Elect Her workshop on March 11th from 10:30-3:30 in Fine Arts 011. You will learn how to figure out what your message and platform is, how to craft a communication strategy that works, and you’ll hear from campus and community leaders about what it takes to win. It is going to be a great day!

If you have questions or want to RSVP, contact Dr. Kate. (drabinsk@umbc.edu.)

A weekly round-up curated by Women’s Center staff member, Michael Jalloh Jamboria

In the spirit of my friend, who gave us the glorious name ‘Slaying on the Weekly’, every week I will be bringing you some interesting, funny or thought-provoking content from the internet! Be sure to join us next week for more and continue to slay!

Things you should know:

February is Black History Month! Join us in celebrating the lives, activism and labor of African-American and Black activists, scholars and thinkers this month.

Immigrants in the US have become subjected to violent mass raids and deportation. DREM, Desis Rising Up and Moving, created a Guide for Sharing Reports on Social Media.

Article of the Week:

Do you ever find yourself asking “What is the Black Lives Matter Movement? What does it consist of and why should it matter to me?” That’s ok! Everyday Feminism has a great video on What You Need to Know About Black Lives Matter.

UMBC Happenings:

The Women’s Center is continually dedicated to support throughout this semester and beyond. February is full of events and programs, all of which are geared towards expanding our knowledge and understanding of feminism and social justice. Join us for our Money 201: Basic Investing Program.

Next month is Women’s History Month. The Women’s Center is excited to be joined by Loretta Ross, a reproductive rights activist, for our Women’s Rights as Human Rights in the Age of Trump Keynote.

Woman of the Week: 

During Black History Month, Slaying on the Weekly will be featuring inspiring, innovative or groundbreaking black women. This weeks WOTW is Katherine Dunham. Katherine was an anthropologist who studied African, Caribbean and Black dance movements in the 1920s and elevated Black dance and movement in the US. Thanks Katherine!

Katherine Dunham, the Godmother of Black dance 

Continue to slay! Stay warm! Until next week!

Program focuses on the preparation of undergraduate students who qualify as either low-income/first-generation college students or members of groups underrepresented in graduate education to pursue doctoral degrees.

 Offers a number of benefits, such as: summer and academic year research funding, assistance connecting with faculty research mentors, hands-on guidance and navigation through the graduate school application process, first-hand exposure to individuals who have earned PhD’s in their field of study, and the opportunity to attend research conferences (fully funded).

Link to program’s web page can be found at http://mcnair.umbc.edu/ where all pertinent information can be found. All inquiries from interested students can be sent to me at marks2@umbc.edu.

 Interested? Apply as soon as possible! Deadline is Friday, March 10^th.

 a short reflection by Shira Devorah, Women’s Center student staff member

This semester has only just begun, and I’m already feeling pretty anxious. Granted, I’m usually pretty anxious – but this feels different.

If you’ve been following the news recently, you may understand. For many marginalized groups, it’s hard to feel stable right now. While I’m privileged in many ways, integral parts of my identity are under attack right now.  I’m proud of being a queer Jewish woman, but these parts of who I am feel very vulnerable and exposed at the moment. My uncertainty is manifesting as physical sensations. There’s a constant tightness in the pit of my stomach, and it’s hard to focus on things outside of the instability surrounding me. This is a difficult moment in time, and I want to be doing something about it, but my mental illness flare-ups make me question my ability to do so. I want to help, but  I also have to take care of my anxiety.

Amidst the current chaos, it is also my last semester at UMBC. If I know myself at all, this means I may be more susceptible to anxiety attacks during this life change. School work is a balancing act for me, and while I’ve had a few shaky semesters, I care a lot about my education. Most of my anxiety is tied up in how well I do, and this is my last chance to (literally) make the grade. UMBC students are held to a high standard of excellence, and I want my last semester to reflect this. To meet my personal achievement goals, I have to put a lot of energy into my studies. This can be draining and difficult to juggle with clinical anxiety.

I’m sure I’m not alone – Many people, especially women, deal with anxiety.  I’ve talked to a bunch of friends who live with similar anxiety conditions. We’re all struggling to figure out how to contribute, how to be present for people and speak up. It can be really, really difficult- but I know it isn’t impossible.

I’m aware that I haven’t been as active as I would like to be. My form of anxiety feels like being blocked up, like all of these things are happening at once. Everything becomes muddled and difficult to parse. I’ve been mostly absent from social media as of late, because it’s been difficult to come up with the words for what I’m feeling. I have not attended any protests, as I get very overwhelmed in large crowds. Sometimes I feel like I have to remove myself from political conversations and go hide away. I know I’m just trying to consider my mental health, yet I have this nagging sense that I’m not doing enough. I want to be a more  prepared and available activist, but my identities as a student and mentally ill person have a habit of getting in my way. When I’m not exhausted from a full load of classes, I’m immobilized by my anxious mind. Things can get overwhelming very easily.

Even though it’s hard to be fully present at the moment, it has been possible for me to do some really small things without exacerbating myself. While I’ve more or less stayed off of Facebook, I’ve been able to use other platforms like Twitter and Tumblr to spread information and support. With Facebook, I feel pressured to add my two-cents to everything I share or to write something from scratch. This can be very anxiety provoking for me. So instead, I’ve stuck to the classic ‘read and re-tweet’. This way, I get to stay informed and promote the work of activists without having to author anything personally.

Here’s an example of a doodle I made for this blog post

While I can’t really go to protests, I follow them diligently. If there is a live stream, you can bet I’m watching it. I have a hard time making phone calls, but I can sign a petition or send an email like a champ. I’ve been coming up with ideas for art that I can make, which is usually a therapeutic process for me. Mainstream forms of protesting are not the only way to contribute to a movement. I know my strengths lie in my artistic capabilities, So I can maneuver around my anxieties and continue to create and share activist art. I know that I am far more than my mental illness, and anyone going through a similar time can use their own strengths in similar ways. Working at the Women’s Center makes me feel like I have the capability to do good things and give support to people. So even though I know I’m limited in the activist work that I can do right now, this doesn’t mean I have to stand still.

If you’re going through something similar, I just want you to know that you aren’t alone, and there are valuable contributions that you can make in this difficult time. Just because your form of activism might not look the same as others, the work you do isn’t any less valid. Everyone has the capability to help in different ways. What is important is finding a way accessible to you, while taking care of your own needs. I know I’m not always going to be able to write the right words or yell in a crowd, but I can do something, and that something can make a difference.

*****

If you’re interested in more resources on how to get involved if you have anxiety, check out the following resources!

Bustle wrote about protesting while socially anxious

Everyday Feminism on how marching isn’t the only way to be an activist

How to call your reps when you have social anxiety

four tech tools to help you get involved

Check out the Counseling Center- they are hosting a variety of  mindfulness workshops this semester