Whether you are new to cosplay or have been doing it for years, this article is for you.
What is cosplay exactly? Well, it’s a combination of the words “costume” and “play” so it’s essentially dressing up for fun, usually as your favorite fictional characters.
We’ve talked previously about the struggles of being a black female nerd, and now, we are going to take the time to celebrate those nerds.
To my black girls who cosplay, it’s time to celebrate YOU because:
You Are Not Alone
In the beginning, I felt like I would stick out like a sore thumb. I thought i would be the only black girl out here trying to pass as Carmen Sandiego. But that’s not the case.
Walk far enough into any comic convention or nerd event and you will see plenty of black girls out here living their best life.
You Are Loved
Black cosplayers may encounter a lot of trolls online. But when you walk into a room and a little girl sees you dressed as Wonder Woman, you begin to understand the impact of what you are doing.
When black women see you cosplay, they get inspired. It proves to them that, just like you, they are free to be whoever they want to be, not confined to who society wants them to be.
And for black girls, it amazes them to not only see their favorite characters come to life but to see those characters look just like them.
You Are Not Limited to Only Cosplay Black Characters
Instagram.com | afroqween_cosplay
I always tell the story of how in 2nd grade, I wanted to be Cinderella for Halloween. A white classmate glared at me, my announcement making her take a break from her strawberry PopTart. “You can’t be Cinderella, you’re black. Maybe you can be Pocahauntas or something.”
I wanted to snatch that PopTart out of her hand, but I digress.
Now, there are a plethora of Black characters to cosplay as. Heck, we didn’t even have a black Disney princess when I was a little girl, and now y’all have Tiana. But if you want to show up to the next comic book convention, dressed to the 9’s in a sparkly, blue dress as Cinderel- I mean- anyone you want…then, by all means, do it! And have fun with it too!
Have YOU ever cosplayed before? Are you thinking about giving it a try for the first time? What black girl cosplayers are you inspired by? Drop some names in the comments section below!