When you Google the news, you discover that, indeed, the world is a very dangerous place. Diseases; multiple wars; blind racial/religious hatred; socially catastrophic and environmentally destructive greed are daily headlines. It is a mess. Yet, most of us choose to continue on with our lives; build families and try to improve our surroundings. We could hide in silent desperation. Or, we could ball up our fists and narrow our eyes to focus on a winning goal.
Inspiration to take on overwhelming challenges comes from many sources. Speculative fiction -- which is an umbrella term for any artistic endeavor that presents unlimited possibilities -- can be our savior.
In recent world events, communities, nations and people of color have suffered disproportionately on planet Earth due to ill-thought economics, denied healthcare and lack of modern education. Those conditions can change to greatly benefit all of us -- rich, poor, educated or fearful.
We need more Black superheroes to encourage people of all colors to believe that anyone with ambition and preparation can save the day. We need more Static Shocks and Dwayne McDuffies from many ethnic backgrounds. Their lessons are important.
We can successfully and peacefully coexist with ourselves and our environment. We can expand into our universe.
We can dream big.
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Dwayne Glenn McDuffie (February 20, 1962 – February 21, 2011) was an American writer of comic books and television, known for creating the animated television series Static Shock, writing and producing the animated series Justice League Unlimited and Ben 10, and co-founding the pioneering comic-book company Milestone Media. McDuffie earned three Eisner Award nominations for his work in comics. (Wikipedia)
