So, here’s the deal: I’m creating a sci-fi series called The Abandon. On July 27, 2012 I’m shooting the pilot episode, which will follow the journeys of five black men after a global alien invasion. Yes, I said five black men. I know that’s revolutionary for television, but hey, I am committed to changing the game. I’m particularly interested in changing the game when it comes to black representation and inclusiveness in sci-fi TV and film.
I do not believe I am a racist. And yet I can make thoughtless comments, be oblivious, be hurtful without realization or intent. Like when I offered a hairdrier to a black friend. Hey, I thought I was being helpful. Forget color-blind. I can be down-right blind.
I don’t classify people by race. Why? I grew up with parents who were from the deep south. They would whisper things like, “well, he’s black...” as if that would explain something. Those comments made me ill. I grew up in Silicon Valley in the middle of the dot com boom. My early jobs were so multi-cultural that to me the world was a rainbow. I tour guided at a museum that drew international tourists and tried to learn phrases in as many languages as I could.
Some authors of Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal stories get race all wrong and the work that they produce is seen as racist. I'm one of those people, though, who hold back on the "R" word until I completely read the entire work. So, when a book came across my desk, I gave pause.
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