Category: history

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The Walls That Separate Us in Pornsak Pichetshote and Alexandre Tefengki’s “The Good Asian”

I first read Pornsak Pichetshote and Aaron Campbell’s Infidel about five years ago, and after reading it, I decided to teach it in my “Monsters, Race, and Comics” course. Since I first read Infidel, I have picked up anything that Pichetshote has written, from Man’s Best and The Sandman Universe: Dead Boy Detectives to his writing and editorial work on The Horizon Project. I have always enjoyed his work, and when I … Read More The Walls That Separate Us in Pornsak Pichetshote and Alexandre Tefengki’s “The Good Asian”

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“This ain’t us! We’re better than that!”: Denying Reality in S.A. Cosby’s “All the Sinners Bleed”

Inevitably, when some tragedy occurs, numerous voices rise up to proclaim, “This ain’t us! I can’t believe it — fill in the blank — happened here.” This line of thought requires blinders that work to shield individuals from the realities of the communities they inhabit. They see tragedies as happening elsewhere, outside of their own space. No matter what the tragedy, it’s always a … Read More “This ain’t us! We’re better than that!”: Denying Reality in S.A. Cosby’s “All the Sinners Bleed”

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Contaminated Blood in EC Comics’ “The Green Thing!”

I have always enjoyed reading EC Comics from the 1950s because William Gaines and the crew didn’t shy away from broaching topics such as antisemitism, racism, sexism, and more. Even in stories that seemingly, on the surface, seem to have nothing whatsoever to do with these issues, they expose these issues, specifically the social constructions of race. They do this in horror stories such … Read More Contaminated Blood in EC Comics’ “The Green Thing!”

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What Do Our Founding Documents Tell Us About Ourselves?

Of the first 18 Presidents of the United States, 12, at some point in their lives, enslaved individuals, and 8 enslaved individuals during their presidency. James Madison, the 4th President of the United States and the Father of the Constitution, was one of the latter, enslaving over 100 individuals before, during, and after his time in office. In his will, in 1835, Madison wrote, … Read More What Do Our Founding Documents Tell Us About Ourselves?

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We Must Remain Ever Vigilant of Ourselves

The generational trauma of oppression impacts everyone involved: the oppressed and the oppressor alike. While the trauma does not impact each in the same manner, it creates psychological trauma that each must endure. Lillian Smith points this out in Killers of the Dream when she writes “that the warped, distorted frame we have put around every negro child from birth is around every white … Read More We Must Remain Ever Vigilant of Ourselves