How Far Has America Come Since The Civil Rights Movement?

I know and believe that it has improved lightyears from the Civil Rights era of the 50s-70s. People often forget that which, in a way, dilutes the accomplishment of many of our fallen brothers and sisters of the past.

When I think about how far we have come, I remember back to my childhood and the lack of representation in advertising, movies, and tv shows that I was constantly consuming by default.

One of my favorite shows as a kid was Static Shock , because he was literally the only Black hero that I had ever seen with his own show that aired on tv.

It was amazing to see that and it hit differently to watch him grow up, struggle, help and be more than what Black men are told they are supposed/can to be.

I mean, think about the cultural moment that happened as a result of The Black Panther (14 years after Static Shock ended) hitting the movie screen in 2018.

It was the very first time I had ever seen a male Black superhero depicted in such a holistically strong, intelligent, and multidimensional manner. I was so proud of that film and the way they highlighted the African culture within it.

The culture wasn’t weak, stupid, or poor, like much of the consistent narrative around Africa. They were smart, beautiful, diverse…