Marvel and DC/Warner Bros. express support for black community
After recent unrest in the United States
Marvel Comics and DC (as well as DC's sister company Warner Bros.) have expressed solidarity with the black community following protest across the United States over the death of George Floyd.
"We stand against racism. We stand for inclusion," Marvel tweeted Sunday. "We stand with our fellow Black employees, storytellers, creators and the entire Black community. We must unite and speak out."
DC tweeted a relevant passage from 2001's Action Comics #775: "Dreams save us. Dreams lift us up and transform us. And on my soul, I swear... until my dream of a world where dignity, honor and justice becomes the reality we all share - I'll never stop fighting. Ever."
Subsequently, DC retweeted Warner Bros.'s more direct statement - which began with a quote from Bryan Stevenson, the founder/executive director of Equal Justice Initiative.
"'Somebody has to stand when others are sitting. Somebody has to speak when others are quiet.' – Bryan Stevenson," Warner Bros.'s tweet read, quoting the founder/executive director of Equal Justice Initiative. Warner Bros. recently produced a film, Just Mercy, based on one of Stevenson's non-fiction books. That film was the first organized under a broad diversity and inclusion initiative enacted by WarnerMedia back in September 2018.
"We stand with our Black colleagues, talent, storytellers and fans – and all affected by senseless violence," Warner Bros.'s tweet continues. "Your voices matter, your messages matter. #BlackLivesMatter"
Floyd died on May 25 in Minneapolis after a police officer, Derek Chauvin, knelt on his neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds. Chauvin has been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The incident sparked 'Black Lives Matter' protests across America, as well as in the United Kingdom and New Zealand.
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DC and Marvel haven't announced any specific actions to go along with these expressions of support.
Chris Arrant covered comic book news for Newsarama from 2003 to 2022 (and as editor/senior editor from 2015 to 2022) and has also written for USA Today, Life, Entertainment Weekly, Publisher's Weekly, Marvel Entertainment, TOKYOPOP, AdHouse Books, Cartoon Brew, Bleeding Cool, Comic Shop News, and CBR. He is the author of the book Modern: Masters Cliff Chiang, co-authored Art of Spider-Man Classic, and contributed to Dark Horse/Bedside Press' anthology Pros and (Comic) Cons. He has acted as a judge for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, the Harvey Awards, and the Stan Lee Awards. Chris is a member of the American Library Association's Graphic Novel & Comics Round Table. (He/him)