Blerdcon Is Back

[Recursion]

https://wamu.org/story/18/07/26/blerdcon-back-expect-convention-celebrates-black-nerd-culture/

An unassuming airport hotel just outside D.C. is about to be overflowing with blerds.

Thousands of blerds — a portmanteau of “black” and “nerds” — will gather for three days in the Hyatt Regency Crystal City to celebrate sci-fi, cosplay, fantasy, comics, and anime. There will be a body painting demonstration, a cosplay contest, a 24-hour gaming room, and a traditional anime-inspired “maid café.” Organizers expect between 3,000 and 4,000 attendees.

But Blerdcon isn’t just your typical geek-culture convention. An emphasis on inclusivity and intersectionality runs throughout the lineup of events, which include a panel on the experiences of black nerds in the Black Lives Matter movement, a presentation on how black women are treated and portrayed in video games, a cosplay discussion led by people with disabilities, and a workshop on making body armor to fit larger bodies.

“These are subcultures within the larger geek culture that have not had the same representation and recognition as other mainstream groups,” said founder and co-chair Hilton George.

[Kind of Blue]

1. How wonderful! My time has come about 40 years late

Anyway, when I was on Facebook I was beyond delighted to join Black Girl Nerds and other groups not on FB at the time, like the Black Science Fiction Society. So many such groups have been created and now Blerdcon - fantastic. Thanks for posting, Recursion!

Shoot, I remember back in my day attending the first Star Trek convention. I'd be lying if I said I remember another black person there back in the late '70s. It was not really a convention but a packed lecture that I think eventually became a convention. I was hoping Shatz and Nimoy would be there but no, I got the impression that it was beneath them when they were interviewed. Gene Roddenberry carried the whole thing. He talked and talked for a couple of hours and delighted the audience with stories, clips of the series and, ooh, possibly a movie.

The fascinating thing in my journey in this my beloved genre is the constant surprise of many white people who think/thought that we have no imagination and/or do not belong in speculative fiction. That we do not have stories of pantheon of gods and goddesses, lesser deities, creatures, witches and the like. But now I'm so gratified to read globally many, many, many PoC authors expanding the genre by going back and exploring stories from Africa.

I could talk about the many facets of Blerdcon forever but got to include those who've sustained Afrofuturism and were my touchstones as a girl. Cute video below unfortunatley doesn't include W.E.B DuBois and godmother of Afrofutrism Octavia Butler, Afrofuturism - Sun Ra, Uhura, George Clinton, Jimi Hendrix, and Missy Elliott

[link:

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[Recursion]

2. The Honfleur gallery in DC just did an afrofuturist exhibit that included some Butler

It was absolutely breathtaking, and included some really fascinating remixes of Nation of Gods and Earths iconography (DC still has a surprising population of five-percenters).

[Kind of Blue]

3. Oh, Thanks! I've got to see if they have

any photos of the exhibit at their link. Times like this, I wish I were still living in D.C. for Blerdcon and this event.