How Far We've Come

Despite my recent focus on Valentine's Day, I haven't missed the fact that February is Black History Month, mostly due to Scipio's unwavering commitment to the truth and the prime rush hour timeslot of NPR's News & Notes.

So it's in the spirit of unity that I bring you this little gem that Josh found in the back issues tonight at the store, right after a guy with a single-tear prison tattoo quized us about Magnetron from Beast Wars, looking just as nervous about it as we did:

Yes, that would be Black Lightning kicking it 1977 style, back when he was DC's first great black super-hero. Years later, of course, he'd pause while punching out gang members to explain the virtues of Kwanzaa in one of the DCU Holiday Bash issues, become Secretary of Education for no particular reason, and--currently--constantly be confused with Super-Friend and Harvey Birdman client Black Vulcan whenever he's brought up in conversation.

He was also a founding member of the Outsiders, who, as you may know, were the people Batman said he'd rather have watching his back instead of Superman, Wonder Woman, and the Flash. That's a pretty stirring reccomendation right there, brother.

And yet there he is, getting blasted with a fire hose by what is quite possibly the whitest man I have ever seen in a comic book. He's even got an ascot, for God's sake. Not exactly the triumph that Black Panther had that time he took on the Klan.

And that's real conversation for your ass.