Resistance
While other texts show how the media stereotypes Black teens, this study looks at two media texts that defy these messages, analyzing them in terms of the course concepts and texts. Static Shock presents Virgil Hawkins, an African American teen with electric-based powers who works to defend his home, Dakota City. In the page describing Static, you will find links to each episode sampled, synopses of the episodes, and descriptions of how each connects to the course. These episodes show Virgil as an intelligent, dynamic character with his own agency, and not an Alien Life Form.
Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man also proves an exception to the negative messages promoted about Black youth. In Spider-Man we see thirteen year-old Miles Morales and his struggles to be a hero. The pages discussing Spider-Man offers a synopsis of the three currently published volumes; the bottom of the page will describe the course connections, tying Spider-Man to Croteau, Raby, and “Teens Talk Back.” It will also become apparent that the teens depicted are Not Alien Life Forms, but, like Virgil of Static, are characters with agency.