Where Are the Black Female Vigilantes in Fiction? Why I Stopped Waiting and Created My Own
Three years ago, I got tired of waiting for someone else to write the Black female vigilante I wanted to read. So I created her myself.
But honestly? I've been waiting a lot longer than three years.
When I was a kid, I'd sit with my dad watching every vigilante movie and TV series we could find. Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry. Charles Bronson in Death Wish. Even John Wayne (yes, he was racist and problematic, but the storylines still hooked me).
And every single time, I'd think the same thing: Where are the Black female vigilantes?
Where was the woman who looked like me, who'd had enough of watching her community suffer while the "proper" channels failed them? Where was the sista who decided to take matters into her own capable hands and handle business?
That little girl watching vigilante movies with her dad had no idea she'd grow up to become the author filling that gap herself.
The Truth About Black Female Vigilantes in Fiction
So, I recently tried to make a comprehensive list of Black female vigilantes across all media. The results were disheartening.
In Published Fiction:
- Sugar from Jermaine Quick's novel (Single mother protecting abused women by night)
- Rayven Choi from Shequeta Smith's series (Biracial bounty hunter seeking revenge for her parents' murder)
- Essun from N.K. Jemisin's Broken Earth (world-breaking powers used outside systems)
- Lauren Olamina from Octavia Butler's Parable series (creates own justice when systems fail)
- Sierra Santiago from Daniel José Older's Shadowshaper (uses ancestral magic as guardian/vigilante)
In Movies, TV & Comics:
- Queen Latifah's The Equalizer (2021 reboot)
- Thunder aka Blackbird/Anissa Pierce from Black Lightning
- Erica in BET's Double Cross Series(One of the twin detectives who operate outside the law)
- Taraji P. Henson's Proud Mary(Assassin turned vigilante protecting a young boy)
- Zoe Saldana's Colombiana (Latina assassin turned vigilante seeking revenge)
- Storm Marvel (when she's in her punk rebel era)
- Vixen DC (sometimes she makes her own Justice calls)
That's roughly 12 characters across decades of vigilantes in popular culture.
Here's the kicker: Most of the book examples come from indie publishers or self-published authors. Mainstream publishing? They're barely showing up to the fight.
Meanwhile, we have countless iterations of the brooding white guy with daddy issues and unlimited resources taking justice into his own hands.
Why Black Women Make Natural Vigilantes
Here's what mainstream fiction gets wrong: Black women have always been vigilantes.
From Harriet Tubman to Ida B. Wells to the countless unnamed women who stood between their families and danger—we've never waited for permission to be heroes.
My vigilante stories aren't fantasy. They're recognition.
What happens when the "bad guys" run the system you're supposed to trust? What happens when justice is a luxury you can't afford to wait for?
That's when you need someone who understands that sometimes justice looks like taking matters into your own capable hands.
Meet Tia Jackson: The Vigilante You've Been Waiting For
That's why I created Tia Jackson, a defense attorney with the abilities gifted by a storm goddess and the heart of a protector.
By day, she fights corruption in the courtroom. By night, she handles the cases that never make it to trial. She's brilliant, strategic, and absolutely unapologetic about using every tool at her disposal to protect her people.
She's not waiting for permission. She's reclaiming the story.
Why These Stories Matter
Black female vigilante stories aren't about encouraging violence, they're about reclaiming agency. They're about exploring what happens when brilliant, powerful women decide they're done asking nicely for justice.
Ready to Meet Your New Favorite Anti-Hero?
Tia Jackson's story begins July 29, 2025.
If you're ready for a Black female vigilante who doesn't wait for permission, who solves problems with brilliance and determination, and who reminds you of your own untapped power.
→ [Join the Vigilante Waitlist] - Be first to read when the storm hits Metronix City
What rule are you ready to break?
Share your thoughts in the comments.
🏷️ Tags: Black female vigilantes, urban fantasy with strong women, diverse superhero fiction, vigilante fiction, Black women heroes
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