In the spirit of that, I wanted to also show some love and celebrate the women fandom hates.
One group in particular, black women.
It’s no secret that characters of color, well people of color in general (artists, authors, actors, etc.) are regularly on the receiving end of the worst kind of racist and misogynistic denigration.
One group in particular, black women.
Anyone who has participated in fandom knows the type of disgusting hatred that the characters and the actresses who portray Tara from True Blood, Guinevere from Merlin and Dr. Martha Jones from Doctor Who regularly receives.
And there’s a reason for that.
Beautiful, sexy, intelligent, extraordinary, these goddesses are feared and despised because of the power they wield. Society constantly hurls shade at black women because of the phenomenal light that they shine.
So this post is not only a celebration of the nubian heroines who made me proud to call them my sisters but black women, period. This post is a tribute featuring a few of my favorite black female characters and actresses who brought the awesome back to fandom. This is also my way of saying thank you to all of the phenomenal nubian goddesses who have blessed and enriched my life over the years.
To all of my black women, this one’s for you:
Uhura: Star Trek
Cleopatra Jones
Pam Grier: Foxy Brown, Jackie Brown, Amanda Waller (Smallville)
Grace Jones: Conan the Destroyer, James Bond
Valerie: Josie & the Pussy Cats
Tina Turner: Thunderdome
Tess: Touched By An Angel
Shana: Jem & The Holograms
Netossa: She-Ra Princess Of Power
Vixen
Monica Dawson: Heroes
Tara: True Blood
The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency
Shuri, The Black Panther
Natasha Irons: Steel
Aaliyah: Romeo Must Die, Queen of the Damned
Tanya: Power Rangers Zeo & Power Rangers Turbo
Angela Bassett: Strange Days, Green Lantern, Alias
Misty Knight: Daughters of the Dragon, Heroes For Hire
Nikki Wood: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Bumblebee
Eliza Maza: Gargoyles
Salli Richardson-Whitfield: Eureka
Empress: Young Justice
Dr. Martha Jones: Doctor Who, Torchwood
Monet: X-Factor, Generation X
Guinevere: Merlin
Janet: Miss Jackson if you’re nasty. Rhythm Nation sealed it for me as far as fandom goes.
Capt. Kasidy Yates: Star Trek Deep Space Nine
Bonnie Bennett: Vampire Diaries
Kathy DuKane: Batman- Mystery of the Batwoman
Elizabeth X: Doctor Who
Kendra: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Marjean Holden: Mortal Kombat Ahnihilation, Beast Master, Renegade
Monica Rambeaux
Shepherd: Mass Effect 2
Max: Batman Beyond
Isabelle: The 4400
Naomie Harris: The Tomorrow People, Pirates of the Carribean
Vernita Green
Nikki Green
Francie/Alison Dorsen: Alias
Penny Proud: The Proud Family
Tiana: The Princess and the Frog
No. 5: Codename: Kids Next Door
Raina: Gossip Girl
Diana: White Collar
Diahann Carroll: White Collar, Dynasty, all things legendary!
Erica Tazel: Justified
Niobe: The Matrix
Xavin: Runaways
Angel: X-Men First Class
Zoe Saldana: Star Trek, Avatar, Colombiana….what hasn’t she been in?
Zoe Washburne: Firefly/Serenity
Storm.
Dude you missed a one more person although they have a Japanese Name: Yoruichi Shihōin from Bleach, who was a former Captain and a skilled Martial Artist. Heck she was the first black woman that I seen in Anime that wasn’t a stereotype. I think that Tite kubo saw Eartha Kitt as Catwoman and drew his inspiration from that.
Also you forgot Felicia Pearson from the Wire. Man I wish I can cast her in a Urban Fantasy Movie.
What a kick-ass collection (that’s my Kasidy Yates pic!!!)!
Anissa Pierce/Thunder! I recently read the Judd Winick run on Outsiders (steeling myself for Chuck Dixon’s run), and she and Grace are my absolute favourites.
(You also didn’t list the movie that Zoe Saldana cap came from: The Losers, from which film and original comic I’d have to nominate Aisha, despite her being very different people in each version)
Yeah there was no way I was going to be able to list everything and everyone. That’s why I joked about what movie Saldana hadn’t done. Otherwise, I’d STILL be compiling the list. LOL! 😉
Grace Jones was the first black female actress I remember who wasn’t on the Cosby Show. And I remember thinking, “Oh — this is much better.”
Oh I forgot the original Cleopatra Lena Horne. She was an awesome woman
This is such an awesome list. I especially want to give thanks for mentioning the ladies of Power Rangers! They were a huge part of my childhood and it seems like the fandom forget these kick-ass ladies. (I’m also pissed off that they never seem to make anybody’s most attractive list either, but that’s whole ‘nother can of worms.)
Wait a minute? Where’s Rocket from Milestone Comic’s “Icon”, and Rochelle from Left for Dead 2?
Pingback: The Black Girls Club « Ars Marginal
Another name you’re missing- at least I didn’t see it… Salli Richardson-Whitfield – IMDB profile> http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0724757/
There a new black giel in Fantasy. Her name is “Bridget Reid,” from
Landwhig’s Pride-The fifth token of life