A Geek of Every Color

For Black History Month, we look at the inner life of the black geek
There was a time when being a geek -- or a nerd, for that matter -- was just about the worst thing you could be. But with the emergence of a geek culture unashamed to wave its freak flag high, we now find ourselves living in a geek-friendly society. There is no longer shame in being an adult who reads comic books, watches animation, plays video games or enjoys any of the other things that often are attributed to geeks, nerds and other various socially challenged misfits.
Despite an increasingly visible audience that drives much of contemporary pop culture, being a geek or a nerd is still traditionally thought of as a domain exclusive to white people (and select Asian cultures). There is, however, an entire culture of black geeks that has struggled to make itself more visible in the larger world of geekdom. And while the term black geek may conjure up images of Jaleel White as Urkel on "Family Matters" or Alfonso Ribeiro on "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," the contemporary black geek is actually more like rapper Mos Def or actor Donald Glover on "Community."
The 21st-century black geek is an offshoot of the middle-class buppie and the old-school b-boy culture, both of which were immersed in a deep-rooted Afrocentric understanding of the world at large. Black geeks grew up reading books like "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" and listening to Parliament-Funkadelic, while watching reruns of "The Partridge Family" and flipping through the pages of Spider-Man comic books. Black pop culture historians like Fab 5 Freddy, the original host of "Yo! MTV Raps," and writer Nelson George represent this crossroads of diverse cultural experiences that define the black geek.
Though I cannot speak for all black geeks, as one myself, I have lived a life of athletic ineptitude and literary appreciation that has made me seem like an oddball. There seems to be a sad stereotype that says black people must all excel in sports, while never cracking open a book. But I'm here to say that some of us love to read and couldn't make a free throw if our lives depended on it. And with that in mind, here's a glimpse at some of what defines black geekiness, and how we make due in a world that seldom caters to us specifically.

Icons of Black Geekiness

Icons of Black Geekiness
Just like every culture or ethnicity, black geeks have people who best represent us in the real world. When President Obama admitted that he read comic books, especially Spider-Man, he was propelled to the forefront of black geekiness. Though he still has his place there, Obama will never usurp the throne of Dr. Cornel West, who is king of the black geeks. Not to be outdone by Cornel West, Bill Cosby has contributed greatly to the cause of black geeks, not only with his hit sitcoms, but also with the animated show "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids." And of course, there are OBGs: original black geeks. People like James Baldwin, Dick Gregory, Malcolm X, Angela Davis and writer, philosopher and activist W.E.B. DuBois, all of whom, as original black geeks, paved the way for Cornel West, Michael Eric Dyson, Nelson George and all the other thinkers who make thinking cool.

'Star Trek'

 'Star Trek'
Black geeks love "Star Trek," but don't come at us talking about how cool Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) from "Deep Space Nine" is, or how he was the best captain of all the "Star Trek" franchises. We know this. We also love Lt. Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) and the black Klingons (although we're indifferent to black Vulcans). But the one character from "Star Trek" every black geek loves is Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy). He is a vital part of the crew, but every now and then, someone reminds Spock that he's not like them -- usually it's Dr. McCoy calling him a "blasted pointy-eared hobgoblin." Any black geek who has been the only black person in a comic book store, or the only black person in a D&D tournament, or the only black person standing in line waiting to buy the latest "Harry Potter" book, has felt the sting of alienation that plagued Spock every moment he was on the Enterprise. And that is why we love him. Deep down inside, every black geek sees a bit of himself or herself in Mr. Spock.

Marvel Comics

 Marvel Comics
In the debate of Marvel vs. DC, most black geeks seem to prefer Marvel and its stable of flawed, angst-ridden characters that spend as much time fighting crime as they do struggling to fit into a society that doesn't always understand them. Keep in mind that our favorite characters are not the token black superheroes like Luke Cage, Falcon or the late and not-so-great Black Goliath. Sure, we have a soft place in our hearts for them, like we do that one cousin who still wears a shower cap everywhere he goes, but these aren't the heroes we black geeks love the most. Captain America's sidekick Falcon was more like a glorified man-servant who could fly, and Luke Cage had terrible fashion sense, and neither of them had a humanity to relate to -- at least not like the humanity of Thor. Sure, he's a Norse god with blond hair and blue eyes, but he's also got a strained relationship with a father he can never seem to please. Black geeks also relate to another blue-eyed hero, the ever-lovin' Thing. Covered in orange rocks, the Thing is a misfit among misfits -- even when he saves the day, some people aren't comfortable with him being around. And finally, there's Spider-Man. Here you have a poor kid, who lives with an old woman who's raising him, and he can't catch a break no matter how hard he tries, which is easier for a black geek to relate to than a muscle-bound soul brotha with bulletproof skin with a tendency to proclaim, "Sweet Christmas!" during a fight.

Hip-Hop Geeks

 Hip-Hop Geeks
There was a time when rappers used to brag about how smart they were. Everyone knew that Kool Moe Dee had been to college, not to mention Young MC. Chuck D met the rest of Public Enemy when they were all in college, and then he went on to rap, "From the slammer/swing the hammer like the Mighty Thor," admitting to the world that he was a comic book geek. And then there was Educated Rapper from the group UTFO, Wise Intelligent of Poor Righteous Teachers, and KRS-One (Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone) of Boogie Down Productions, all of whom boasted of their intellectual capabilities. But somewhere along the way, hip-hop forgot about "droppin' science" and "schoolin' suckas," and traded college credits for street credentials. Still, there are quite a few rappers out there who are undeniable geeks. Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Common, J-Live, the Roots, De La Soul and Lifesavas all represent the black geek quotient that can still be found in hip-hop, despite a continued attempt to dumb it down.

Science Fiction and Other Flights of Fancy

 Science Fiction and Other Flights of Fancy
Black geeks like to read science-fiction, fantasy and horror books just like other geeks. Unfortunately, some of the more popular genre books tend to exclude or marginalize black characters. But that doesn't mean there aren't writers and books out there that speak to black geek culture. Samuel R. Delany (the "Return to Nevèrÿon" series) and the late great Octavia Butler (the "Patternist" series) remain the foremost writers of black geek literature. Both authors wrote numerous novels in multiple genres, and paved the way in literature for Afrofuturism, which has its roots in the spacey music of Sun Ra and Parliament-Funkadelic. Other notable contributors to black geek lit include Tananarive Due, Steve Barnes, John Ridley, L.A. Banks and Walter Mosley.

'Star Wars'

 'Star Wars'
Out of fear of being ostracized by the larger geek community, most black geeks will not admit to hating "Star Wars," but we do. It all started with "Episode IV," when it dawned on every black kid watching it that there were no black people anywhere in a galaxy far, far away. We got Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams) in "Empire Strikes Back," but that will never make up for the jaw-dropping monstrosity of Jar Jar Binks. What was George Lucas thinking? The only thing Jar-Jar didn't do was walk around with a bucket of fried chicken. And I'm sorry, but Mace Windu wasn't cutting it either. No, the reality is that while some black geeks will openly lie about how they feel about "Star Wars," deep down inside we all prefer to watch the original "Battlestar Galactica," because that had two black guys on it, and they didn't act like buffoons.

The Black Geek Hall of Fame