2019 Geek-A-Long: A Tribute to Black History Month

Hi, guys! Welcome to week six of the 2019 Geek-A-Long. This year, on odd weeks we’ll release a new square, and on even weeks we’ll post some fun Geek-A-Long extras. Throughout the year we’ve got tutorials planned, you’ll get to watch Jac toil over her Nightmare Mode blanket, we’ll showcase some of the amazing work that you all have done over the last six years of geeking along, and we’ll pay tribute to the amazing people that have made the GAL possible through their contributions to art, science, and the world in general.

February is Black History Month in the United States, and I want to use this week’s post to honor some of my favorite squares that have been inspired by fandoms that star black characters. I know what you’re thinking: “Thank God we finally have a white woman chiming in on Black History. It’s about time.” If it helps, I’m self aware of how I’m the Kyle Mooney of this conversation.

That said, I would be remiss if we didn’t take some time this month to honor the impact that Black figures have had on our fandoms, and by extension, our blankets. This list is by no means comprehensive, but I wanted to take you on a short tour of some of my favorite squares inspired by fandoms staring a Black character.

Jac and I are Teen Titan Superfans. Jac did an amazing job on the designs for all the TT squares, but cyborg is my favorite of them all. Read the original Cyborg post HERE.

No one should be surprised to see The Black Panther on this list. Read the original Black Panther Post HERE.

Mohawk Storm is the best Storm. I am happy to fight anyone that disagrees. Read the original Storm post HERE.

Static Shock and Batman Beyond are my OTP. Read the original post on Static Shock HERE.

Who you gonna call?… Winston Zeddemore!

Also, since we’re all huge nerds here, I thought I would mention Drunk History, in which all-star actors reenact events in history as told by heavily inebriated storytellers. I’ve learned more about Black History from that show than I ever did in school. If you haven’t seen the show, I highly recommend it. It’s a Comedy Central show that is also available on Hulu.

One of my favorite stories is about Claudette Colvin (Season 2, Episode 1) as told by Amber Ruffin, a comedian and writer for Late Night with Seth Meyers. It features Mariah Iman Wilson as Claudette and Lisa Bonet as Rosa Parks, and tells the story of how Rosa Parks was not the first person to be arrested for refusing to give up her seat for a white person. It was 15-year-old Claudette. After Miss Colvin was arrested, the NAACP was swamped with letters about her courage, all which were read by Rosa Parks. She struck up a friendship with Claudette, and this was what sparked the idea for the bus boycott. They go more into Miss Colvin’s later life, which included participating in the lawsuit against the city of Montgomery, Alabama that resulted in Segregation being declared unconstitutional in the city. But you have to watch it to truly appreciate the story and the comedy. Amber Ruffin is one of my favorite storytellers on the show.

~Megan-Anne

Black lives matter.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider making a donation to Child’s Play Charity. Here is a direct link to our official donation page benefiting the charity. Please help us raise $1,000 this year. No contribution is too small! Wanna make your donation go even further? Lattes & Llamas will donate $1 for every skein of Geek-A-Long Yarn purchased.