prejudice

Abandon_TV_Series Blog

Guest Fest: The Abandon, An All Black Male Sci‐Fi TV Series by Keith Josef Adkins

Alicia

Abandon_TV_SeriesSo, 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.

Deleyna_web_2 Blog

Guest Blogger Deleyna Marr: It’s All About POV. The Need to Write Multicultural SciFi.

Alicia

Deleyna_web_2I 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.