Fun story time! So that quote I posted from Whoopi Goldberg about Star Trek and seeing a black lady on T.V. who wasn’t a maid? Here’s my moment like that.

When I was a kid I watched a bunch of cartoons (when I was a kid, lol I still watch a lot of cartoons). Then I remember hearing about this new show called “X-Men.” I wasn’t big into comics at the time (just the occasional Sonic the Hedgehog one), but I just thought it looked like a cool show. 

Then I saw Storm and flipped out. 

I couldn’t believe she was black! And just as powerful as everyone else, and intelligent too! Before that the only black lady I remember seeing in my cartoons was the woman in Tom and Jerry that showed up sometimes like, “Thoooomas!” You never saw her face. Ever. You saw her from the waist down, and she carried a broom around and would like, swat him with it if he was acting up. That was about it. I mean there were black men like Fat Albert and stuff, and even some random sports cartoon with Michael Jordan (before Space Jam, it was some random sports superhero show?) and even MC Hammer had a cartoon (no joke, look it up). But a woman? A black woman? With powers too? Who would fight too? 

I just stared at the T.V. for a long time. 

I mean growing up, I didn’t really realize how much I wanted a black girl in my geekery until I saw Storm. I had this huge WOW moment, then kinda went, “… wow wait is this the only one in my geekery?” And it really was. Like I didn’t think about how that made me feel until that first episode when they’re in the mall and the Sentinels show up and she transforms into Storm, it was like, “Holy shit no way, no way! She’s not just a background character shopping at the mall?!” Then there was this moment of, “… wow this is the first time I have seen a black woman be something important in my cartoons.”

I think this is why I love Tiana so much (besides other reasons of her just being a great character). But now I’m old enough to appreciate how her presence effects people. Like now some kid is going to go into the Disney store and see her doll like, “WOW,” like I did with Storm all those years ago. Like now when the family goes to Disney world and sees the princesses, she’ll be there  :)  I mean I love all of the princesses, you know, but that just hits home. Like, “Hey sweetie, there’s one that looks like you, and she’s just as special as all the other ones." 

O.K. sappy moment over now.