Soul f ood &&
  Superheroes

We are in such admiration of superheroes in fiction. They are a part of our childhood and influence a lot of our cultural context.  We dream of being them.  We have movies based on them.  Cartoons display their virtues and shape ours.  However, this can be juxtaposed with our disdain for real life heroes of flesh and blood. Nurses during the recent Covid pandemic have spoken about being spat on.  Military service persons had to fight in congress for years to get benefits that are owed to them for their service and by this country’s promise.  Poll workers have become scrutinized and demonized for their loyalty.  We have shown disrespect to those who have been our everyday heroes.  Especially, towards those who are people of color. We honor these fictional characters and denigrate real ones. 

My motivation and reference for this work came from considering the life of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He is heralded, now. He is admired, now. However, in his lifetime and at the time of his death, he had a 25% -33% approval rating nationally. After he was assassinated, there was 33% - 35% of the nation said he brought it on himself.  Imagine that, we speak so highly of him and his work now but in his lifetime this was not the case. In fact, it was the opposite.  He never saw the day that he would have a national holiday in his honor.  He died thinking that the majority hated him.  Yet, the character that is believed to be based on him, Professor Xavier of the Marvel comics X-Men, is acclaimed. People love Professor X and we admire him. We hold him up as what humanity should be. When we consider that cognitive dissonance, it is hard to ignore. It extends to today with the way we handle Martin Luther King’s memory and image to tone police black people and people of color who speak out against civil rights abuse, injustices, or social injustice.  It is also in the demonizing of Black Lives Matter.  My mother always told me, “The devil has no new tricks.” It's the same tactics all over again.  The question is, will we fall for it again? Or will we honor our superheroes while we have them?

For me, when I paint Malcolm X as Magneto and Martin as Professor X, I am pointing out that we have and have had superheroes.  Those who have overcome herculean trials. We have those in our past and present who love us enough to risk their lives for our betterment.  I want us to receive and honor that in our encounter with this work. Then, I want us to find both rests in that knowledge as well as passion to stand with those who stand up for us.  As my grandmother would say, let us give them their flowers while they're alive.  Let us appreciate them while they're here.  Let us defend them as they defend us. Let us know what these people will be like if they live to a ripe old age. Let’s support and fight for those who are fighting for us. Let us receive their love as our soul food and honor them as our superheroes.