Shuri the Black Woman Scientist: On represantation and stereotypes
Representation matters. When I was a little girl, Storm (X- men) was my favourite Super Hero. As a young girl, I would get so excited seeing her on TV saving the day with her wit and power. It was until recently that I really thought about, out of all the X-men, my little self chose her....
Was seeing a person with a skin like mine being depicted as strong, brave and a hero fascinating to my young mind? Did it also make me feel like I could be strong and brave?
There has been a whole conversation about how black people are depicted on screen. Additionally, about how Africa is depicted. Black superheroes have been few. So have been black kings and queens, warriors, etc. Africa on the other hand has always been depicted as poor, backward and uncivilised. The movie Black Panther changed the narrative, which is why it was amazing. It depicted Africa (Wakanda in the movie) in a way this is almost unconventional for TV. Wakanda is a technology hub, innovative and with very smart people. It also gave us the superhero Black Panther. Importantly, or rather for the purposes of this blog, it gave us Princess Shuri. A young black female scientist who was essentially responsible for the technological advancement of Wakanda. What excites me the most is her high tech lab where all the magic happens. The representation of a black woman scientist on TV is inspiring, for young girls, for young black girls....but if I am going to be honest I was inspired too, although I am already a scientist.
Princess Shuri was not portrayed as the stereotypical scientist who is boring, not sociable, with no outside interests. Usually, when women scientists are potrayed on TV, this kind of stereotype seems to be the norm. Case in point, Amy (Mayim Bialik) from the Big Bang Theory. The creators/writers went to great lengths to make Amy undesirable. Shuri however is fun and smart, she is also a warrior, a princess. Overall an easy going scientist. I think this kind of representation is important for all scientists, regardless of gender or race. The issue of scientists and stereotypes definitely deserves its own blog post. At the moment, Marvel Comics is talking a of a standalone comic for Shuri which will be written by one of my favourite authors, Nnedi Okorafor.
Shuri in the Comics
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| Letitia Wright (Princess Shuri) in Black Panther |
Was seeing a person with a skin like mine being depicted as strong, brave and a hero fascinating to my young mind? Did it also make me feel like I could be strong and brave?
There has been a whole conversation about how black people are depicted on screen. Additionally, about how Africa is depicted. Black superheroes have been few. So have been black kings and queens, warriors, etc. Africa on the other hand has always been depicted as poor, backward and uncivilised. The movie Black Panther changed the narrative, which is why it was amazing. It depicted Africa (Wakanda in the movie) in a way this is almost unconventional for TV. Wakanda is a technology hub, innovative and with very smart people. It also gave us the superhero Black Panther. Importantly, or rather for the purposes of this blog, it gave us Princess Shuri. A young black female scientist who was essentially responsible for the technological advancement of Wakanda. What excites me the most is her high tech lab where all the magic happens. The representation of a black woman scientist on TV is inspiring, for young girls, for young black girls....but if I am going to be honest I was inspired too, although I am already a scientist.
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| Shuri the Warrior Princess.....and scientist |
Princess Shuri was not portrayed as the stereotypical scientist who is boring, not sociable, with no outside interests. Usually, when women scientists are potrayed on TV, this kind of stereotype seems to be the norm. Case in point, Amy (Mayim Bialik) from the Big Bang Theory. The creators/writers went to great lengths to make Amy undesirable. Shuri however is fun and smart, she is also a warrior, a princess. Overall an easy going scientist. I think this kind of representation is important for all scientists, regardless of gender or race. The issue of scientists and stereotypes definitely deserves its own blog post. At the moment, Marvel Comics is talking a of a standalone comic for Shuri which will be written by one of my favourite authors, Nnedi Okorafor.
Shuri in the Comics
I love this post! You’ve accurately captured my excitement of the representation (in Black Panther) and perhaps more importantly Shuri as the brilliant scientist. She’s smart, witty, independent and a force to be reckoned with- I can’t wait for my nieces to see this movie! We as black women need more heroes on our screens to inspire the next generation of girls and boys.
ReplyDeleteThanks Nox, yes Shuri definitely is a force to be reckoned with! I do hope to see more black (women) scientists and superheroes on the screen.
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