The National Black Justice Coalition
(NBJC) is excited to announce the latest installment in its ongoing
collaboration with Cartoon Network. On Monday, December 14, Cartoon
Network released a comic strip
highlighting the power and importance of respecting gender identity
through the use of gender pronouns. The comic was designed by members of
the NBJC Youth and Young Adult Action Council (YYAAC) with artist
Steven Lowe (@steeeeevn), a team of talented creators from Cartoon
Network Studios, and leadership from NBJC’s director of education
programs and research, Dr. Kia Darling-Hammond.
This
collaboration grew out of Cartoon Network's commitment to meaningfully
engage with organizations serving the LGBTQ+/SGL community and is a part
of the network's continued support for NBJC.
On December 1, Gallery Nucleus launched an online art show
benefiting NBJC that features art centered around community. Created by
Cartoon Network Studios and Warner Bros. Animation artists, the artwork
can be purchased through December 31.
Roughly 150,000 teenagers identify as transgender in the United States, and an as-yet-uncounted number of children as young as three
years old are transgender or gender nonconforming, as well. In fact,
each year the number of self-identifying transgender people grows,
suggesting that the more accepting society becomes, the easier it is for
people to be their whole selves unapologetically. In light of this
trend, this new comic strip is timely and important in its ability to
increase awareness about pronouns and how to use them.
“At
the heart of our work at NBJC is affirmation of the dignity and beauty
of our Black transgender, gender nonconforming, nonbinary and other
gender-expansive siblings,” said Dr. Kia Darling-Hammond, NBJC’s director of education programs and research.
“This comic strip advances our goals by showing what it looks like to
treat people with respect, while finding a sense of common humanity. Our
hope is that this strip’s audience, of all ages and backgrounds, will
feel inspired to begin volunteering their own gender pronouns, respect
those of others, and normalize awareness of the existence of people
across the gender universe. We believe that recognizing and celebrating
gender expansiveness will move us closer to a world where we can all be
healthy, happy, and whole.”
Sage Grace Dolan-Sandrino, one of three of NBJC’s YYAAC members who worked on the project, says that "Visibility
and representation on a wide scale is exactly what we need to ensure
the safety and appreciation of our queer youth. For many of us, seeing
ourselves reflected in fictional worlds allows us to envision a place
for ourselves in the real world. Cartoon Network’s partnership with NBJC
will play an integral role in saving and improving the lives of young
queer kids across not only the nation, but the world."
NBJC’s YYAAC member Tyler Miles adds that “Part
of the excitement of this project is that we are engaging a topic that
young people almost always have experience with, but don’t often have
the space to discuss. Whether these youth identify as transgender,
gender nonconforming, cis, or the multitude of identities therein, this
comic is a radical act of trust and care to reach all youth who are
beginning to, or have already, thought critically about gender. They are
heard, they are seen, they are accepted, and they are loved.”
"This comic was created to embrace and acknowledge the role of selfhood and inclusion.” says NBJC’s YYAAC member Justin Calhoun.
“This partnership between NBJC and Cartoon Network is an act of
visibility that centers the needs of queer youth to ensure that they are
not only accepted, but also thriving!"
NBJC
is proud of what we have accomplished together, with Cartoon Network
and other creatives, and are excited for young people to see themselves
reflected in this work. Join feature characters Craig, Chloe, and Stevonnie as they meet new friends Kam and Alex while learning about gender, respect, and belonging. You can check out the comic here.
