How Blackness is handled

Blackness seems to be handled in three distinct ways in science fiction and fantasy (and probably in media overall). Let's explore below.

Photo from Quora* 

Blackness is Hidden


Some would argue that blackness being hidden is a negative thing. For example with Star Wars: The Force Awakens's Maz Kanata, some fans wanted to see Lupita Nyong'o as she is and not a CGI creature in her place. I tend to disagree with this line of thinking. Scifi/fantasy has a ton of non-human characters and someone has to have the privilege of playing them so why not one of us? Additionally, many of the roles are based on long standing characters that were always not human. The problem arises when there are no other depictions of people of color to go along with it, which is too often the case.

Examples: Maz Kanata, Neytri of Avatar, Gamora of Guardians of the Galaxy



Blackness is a Non-Issue


This seems to be the most popular take on blackness. Sometimes it's because the story takes place in a post (or non) racial world, sometimes it's because the book/movie/show just decided not to address it. The characters just happens to be black in these cases. I have noticed that this take on blackness tends to correspond with a different sort of division being a point of contention. Aliens versus humans, mutants versus humans, etc. Race is the least of their concerns.

Examples: Most of them frankly, but Fish of Gotham, Molly of Extant, Annie of Being Human, Storm of X-Men (in the movies at least), the list goes on.


Blackness is Part of the Story


We haven't gotten to a point where we are racially colorblind- depictions of interracial relationships are still shown as progressive and people of color as headliners are still rare. Done correctly, including race can enrich a story, give depth to characters and speak to larger universe truths. For Scifi/Fantasy that takes place in the past or in contemporaneous to present day times, it feels more honest to incorporate race in some way. It's not as though we don't notice it, and for people of color it can be a point of pride to have our cultures included.

Examples: The ladies of Sleepy Hollow, Tituba of Salem



* I don't know if race was directly addressed in The Matrix, but I do know the Oracle was awesome.

Lucy, Extant

Image from Securelyinsecure.tumblr

WARNING: SPOILERS


Captivity breeds treachery. A next generation android, Lucy was made to be a weapon against a hybrid alien-human race, but instead she sprung forth as a fully-formed rebellious teen with the intellect of an advanced computer and the brute force of a Mack truck. Calmly menacing, Lucy used her superior reasoning skills and attractive visage like finely honed weapons. Sentient, she was aware of her captivity and railed against it by manipulating everyone around her. This was in direct contrast to Ethan, the original android boy who accepted his subservience like a real child, a product of being lovingly raised over time. Lucy didn't have this advantage, and her creators paid the price for not providing it.

Favorite moment: The dress. She owned that dress.

Molly Woods, Extant

Photo from Dark Horizons

WARNING: SPOILERS


Astronaut and scientist, wife to an innovative robotics engineer and mother to both an android and an alien-human hybrid. Complicated and resilient, this is a woman who determinedly forged ahead no matter the obstacle- and there were many. She lost a lover, unborn child, husband, endured the forced removal of one child and a multitude of circumstances separating her from another. An introvert, she stayed true to form and became a force to be reckoned with in her own meditative, methodological way. Where others might have buckled, she bent. Her uncontrollable urges during her metamorphosis was a bit of a heavy handed attempt to sex up an already sexy character (and show), but otherwise the development of the character was enthralling. Molly was a woman who not only made her decisions resolutely and with a clear link to both science and facts, but also managed to persuade everyone to her line of thinking along the way. She fought her enemies with little more than her own intellect, and it was proven time and time again that it was more than enough.

Favorite moment: Lying with her dying and prematurely aged son staring up at the stars, where he came from and where she was always the most comfortable. Molly was continually thwarted from having a normal relationship with her children and it was sad but also powerful to see her have a moment to be there for one of them when they needed her most.