This essay discusses why the ability to envision unimagined solutions is necessary when considering future possibilities in Black education and the use of comics in classrooms. Two alternative futures are proposed. They are guided by cyclical events, inspired by past and present Black achievements, and informed by the collective harms inflicted on Black citizens in the past and present. A significant portion of each alternative future speculates on uncertainties introduced by other variables and trends that must be considered due to their potential influences on Black education and comics. It concludes with two comics about Black comic conventions in 2037.

Dawud Anyabwile (previously known as David Sims) is best-known as the comic book illustrator for the Black family-owned independent series Brotherman: Dictator of Discipline. This interview is a compilation of edited excerpts from two recorded interview sessions conducted shortly after the 2020 Schomburg Center’s Annual Black Comic Book Festival in Harlem, New York. The conversation focuses on how Dawud’s early home experiences and work as an airbrush artist inspired the world illustrated on each page of his Brotherman comic books. We also discuss his artistic influences, how he learned to make comic books, and the inspirations behind his name change.

Critical race media literacy refers to the ability to (a) recognize negative stereotypical portrayals of historically oppressed groups in media, (b) question media producers' intentions, and (c) produce media content that does not perpetuate stereotypes. Critical race media literacy can be taught in many college classes, but an undergraduate education course that utilizes a multimodal approach to teach students about the various ways learning occurs in the digital age is an excellent opportunity to develop this skill in undergraduates. This article provides specific examples of teaching techniques used in an undergraduate course about technological media and arts-based inquiry.

The social success skills valued and ultimately acquired by youth during their formative years can be better understood by examining the social spaces, processes, and interactions that are related to their personal aspirations and related media experiences. Using a phenomenological approach, I conducted a year-long multi-case study about two Black male high school students’ thoughts on social success, their aspirations, their social experiences, and their experiences with media. The participants were selected using purposeful sampling. I collected data through semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and observations. I performed analyses by using the hermeneutic cycle which requires one to repeatedly read text, write reflections, and interpret data (Kafle, 2011; Laverty, 2008). Findings suggest that my participants’ aspirations held influence over the type of media content with which they chose to engage. Additionally, their thoughts about social success were influenced by their family members’ personal life experiences and the skills their family members valued. Moreover, their sociocultural contexts influenced their evolving thoughts on social success while their media served as resources to help them process their thoughts about social success and help them pursue their goals.

Digital media arts programs continue to be added to school curricula throughout the United States. Education through digital media arts also occurs outside school settings. We need to ensure that educational digital media arts programs actively and consciously teach students to critique societal stereotypes and biases they encounter in their media training as well as in their own artwork. This article argues for the inclusion of pedagogical approaches that encourage critical thinking in digital media arts production spaces. In response to this need, culturally relevant media production is proposed as a set of criteria that media producers and instructors can use to create effective prosocial content for educational and/or entertainment purposes. The 3 criteria for culturally relevant media production are instructional methods and theories, culturally conscious content, and critical thinking skills support. These criteria and examples of existing forms of media that meet these criteria are explored in this article.

African Americans produced many comic strips, comic books, and graphic novels during the twentieth century but their works were rarely recognized in reviews of mainstream and independently published comics until recently. These efforts to acknowledge Black comics creatives and their contributions to the industry must continue. This article participates in the ongoing effort to capture and share the experiences of African American creatives in the independent comic book publishing industry by placing a spotlight on the author and co-creator of the Brotherman: Dictator of Discipline (1990--1996) comic book series, Guy A. Sims. The Brotherman brand is part of a long legacy of inspirational media from independent Black producers. Guy's early experiences provided him with tangible examples of successful Black-owned media companies that were creating content for Black audiences. His most important influence was his father, Dr. Edward Sims, Jr. Edward introduced young Guy to the works of Richard Wright for inspiration. He also engaged his son in questions that further inspired his creativity. Brotherman now serves as a source of inspiration to multiple generations of new comic book artists and writers.

André LeRoy Davis is best known as the creator of ‘The Last Word,’ a series of one-page comic illustrations that were featured on the last page of The Source magazine. They were published non-stop in countless issues of this Hip Hop periodical from September 1990 to January 2007. This article is a compilation of edited excerpts from an interview session conducted during the winter of 2020. It was held shortly after the Schomburg Center’s Annual Black Comic Book Festival in Harlem, New York. The conversation focuses on how André’s experiences during his formative and adult years inspire his comic art content. We discuss his family’s origins in Barbados; his experiences growing up in Brooklyn, New York; the Hip Hop culture within the High School of Art & Design when he was a student; his earliest experiences as a professional freelance artist; and the evolution of his creative process.

Hip-hop culture will officially turn 50 years old on 11 August 2023. This cultural movement began in a recreational room in The Bronx, New York City, and is now enjoyed throughout the world. In recognition of its upcoming half-century celebration, this article reviews the origins of hip-hop culture (e.g. hip-hop pioneers such as DJ Kool Herc, Keef Cowboy and Lovebug Starski) and the relationship its emceeing and graffiti elements have with comics culture. I begin with a brief review that demonstrates how graffiti predates hip-hop culture. This is illustrated through depictions of cave paintings, ancient Roman street art and ancient Mayan graffiti. I also highlight hobo graffiti and the graffiti from the Cholos and Bachutos gangs from twentieth-century Los Angeles, California. The introduction of the ‘Kilroy was here’ tag during the Second World War and the protest graffiti from a German anti-Nazi group are also depicted. I conclude the historical review of graffiti with an introduction to the early appearances of hip-hop-styled graffiti. Next, I present multiple historical influences on hip-hop emceeing. Examples include (but are not limited to) West African griots, enslaved Africans, Muhammad Ali, Millie Jackson, The Last Poets and Gil Scott-Heron. Likewise, older genres, such as funk music, blues music, jazz poetry and Black militant poetry inspired much of rap music. Afterwards, I examine the bidirectional relationship between graffiti and comics art, and emceeing and the textual/storytelling aspects of comics. This includes comics-inspired graffiti, hip-hop monikers (e.g. Big Pun, Snoop Dogg, MF Doom and Jean Grae), hip-hop lyrics (from artists such as Grandmaster Caz, Inspectah Deck, Jay-Z and The Last Emperor) and album covers. Conversely, I offer examples of how graffiti has inspired comics visuals and storytelling as well as how emceeing has inspired the comic-book storytelling and the protagonists featured in fictional and non-fictional comic book narratives.

The Saga of TOUSSAINT L’OUVERTURE and the Birth of Haiti (TSTLBH) is the first volume in the Golden Legacy: Illustrated History Series, launched in 1966 by Fitzgerald Publishing. A Black-owned company, Fitzgerald Publishing released 16 total volumes in the series. This study examines the various ways that TSTLBH pushes back against three trivialising tropes regularly used to promote anti-African retellings of the Haitian revolution: (1) L’Ouverture was acting and succeeding on European terms; (2) Africans were not skilled enough to defeat Bonaparte; and (3) African-led nations face hardships because they are barbaric. This article begins with a brief review of media about the Haitian Revolution. Next, it focuses on comic books on the subject. Lastly, it investigates the various ways that TSTLBH refutes each trivialising trope by (1) solidifying L’Ouverture’s African roots and their positive influences on his upbringing; (2) showing the strategic decisions and purposeful actions taken by L’Ouverture and his allies to defeat their enemies; and (3) reinforcing the falsehood of notions that Africans are savage barbarians and inferior to Whites.