Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Comics, entertainment, michael davis, michaeldavis, milestone

The Fire Next Time – Michael Davis, From The Edge

"You were born where you were born and faced the future that you faced because you were black and for no other reason. The limits of your ambition were, thus, expected to be set forever. You were born into a society which spelled out with brutal clarity, and in as many ways as possible, that you were a worthless human being."

― James Baldwin, The Fire Next Time

Michael Davis is the co-founder of Milestone Comics and a current graphic novelist. He runs The Black Panel at San Diego Comic Con. And he now writes a weekly column for Bleeding Cool.

I just discarded four pages of a perfectly good fire and brimstone righteous (to me) rant. That written rage was supposed to be my be-all-and-end-all response to the hate from some in comic fandom to the Johnny Storm casting news.

I told Rich I needed more time to really polish my points, so he should expect to run the piece Friday instead of my more-often-than-not Thursday slot.

It was a brilliant tour de force of logic, backed with facts and historical references. Then I thought, what's the point?

Nothing I write will change one racist mind, so what's the point?

All that would happen is another battle of comments, insults, and just silly shit. The same silly shit I expect to see from some that read this, but such is life.

I don't expect to change any minds with this article — I just want to add a bit of fact that seems to have missed its time in the online sun.

I talk a lot of shit about my résumé in such a way that people either love me or hate me. That's on purpose; it's a persona that works for me. People that I rub the wrong way have as much sway over me as Sarah Palin has over my left nut.

None.

Truth is, the way I write has everything to do with the way I feel. The last six weeks or so my stuff has been tame according to some, but I don't see it as such — I see it as just another side of who I am as a person.

Every week someone comments on some two-month-old rant that has nothing to do with what was written that day. The Jackie Robinson series was well received for the most part, and for the most part the criticisms had to do with some shit I ranted on weeks before, regarding an entirely different subject.

That's okay.

Really.

People can bitch and moan all they want about whatever they want; frankly, most of it is just funny to me. Anyone that thinks I'm losing any sleep over some shit I wrote that I forgot about the second I wrote it really is spending too much time thinking about me.

Granted, they get to do that. Anyone and everyone gets to do that — it's the "comments" section of Bleeding Cool. It's what we do here.

But.

After reading some of the outright fucked up racist shit posted in response to the Johnny Storm casting, here's what those racists don't get to do: they don't get to tell any Black person how we should feel or act when it comes to racism.

Every fucking day I walk out of my nice house on my nice block, get into my nice car, and drive somewhere. All I should be thinking about is where I'm going — I wish.

Along with my destination, I'm thinking about whether or not the cop car that just made that U-turn has done so because of me. Have I done anything to warrant that thought? Oh hell yes. I was guilty of DWB.

Driving While Black.

Dismiss this if you will, but unless you are a Black person, you will never know what that's like. Every single moment of my pretty decent life, I have to be aware that to many I'm just a nigger, not an accomplished African American man. Just a nigger.

As a Black man, I'm at any time subject to racism that those racist assholes think is bullshit. I'd use global warming as an analogy, but expecting the people that wrote some of those posts to make the connection would require them to know what the fuck global warming is.

Don't like the Johnny Storm casting because it's not true to the Lee & Kirby version?

Okay.

Don't like the Johnny Storm casting because you don't like the actor, director, or the way they spell Storm?

All right.

Don't like the Johnny Storm casting because he's Black?

Fine. Really. That's your right.

But unless you look in the mirror, and looking back at you is a Black face, keep your fucking views regarding how someone should receive or respond to that to yourself, or those on fuck-a-Duck Dynasty.

On another but related note, I'd like to give a nod to Louie Falcetti. I enjoyed your piece, my friend. Stand tall — it's all part of the game.

Lastly, devious1, I'm NOT avoiding you, and to answer your question regarding Static in the DC (or otherwise) Universe: yes, you will see Static again. I can't say when, I can't say who, but I can say why: because the character is too damn cool to just stay…static.

Give that a sec.

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