The past year has witnessed the birth of transformational change in the social fabric. The Killing of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery (to name a few) has triggered a response to structural racism that has caused the nation and the world to take stock of its institutions. The growth of more diverse faces on the pages of popular comic books and in feature films has proven to be essential to reflecting the world in which we all live. And, despite the onset of an unprecedented pandemic, the inclusion of people of color, women and persons with disabilities and the LGBTQ community not only better reflects today’s culture, it has also proven good for the bottom line. We will bring an award-winning panel together to challenge ongoing issues and push the conversation forward. Panelists include John Jennings (MFA: Professor of Media and Cultural Studies, UC Riverside, 2-time Eisner Award winner (2016, 2018), Frederick Aldama (PhD: The University Distinguished Professor, Arts and Humanities Distinguished Professor of English and University Distinguished scholar, The Ohio State University, 2019 Eisner Award winner), Christina Steenz Stewart (syndicated cartoonist (Heart of the City), 2019 Dwayne McDuffie Award Winner), Chelsea ‘Ché’ Grayson (MFA: Executive Director, Northern California Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Foundation), David Walker (comic book writer, Bitter Root (Image) (Legendary Films): 2020 Eisner Award nomination, Naomi (DC): 2020 Eisner Award nomination), and Stanford Carpenter (PhD: Comics and Pop Culture anthropologist and Chair, Black & Brown Comix Arts Festival) .

Shahab Zargari

Shahab is a filmmaker, father and a huge geek.

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