Inclusion + Sustainability.
On May 8, 2002, my favorite comic was published. Green Lantern Vol. 3, issue 150. My older brother taught me to read from Batman and Calvin and Hobbes comics ahead of kindergarten, so you can imagine my thoughts on the current line up of popular media. However, despite this early exposure to the Dark Knight, Kyle Rayner, a legacy hero, was and still is my favorite.
At first it was because of the accessibility of his adventures and his position as a young character experiencing the DC multiverse for the first time — a smart access point for young readers.
But on May 8th, 2002, when I was 12 years old, Judd Winick revealed that Kyle Rayner was half Mexican-American. While my first memory of comics was around October of 1993, it was almost 10 years before I truly saw myself in the stories I loved. Representation is powerful because it allows ownership and placement. It provides proof of belonging.
And if it’s something that is impactful to a 12 year reading a comic, then there is an even greater and more crucial need for it when showcasing entrepreneur, scientists, policymakers, academics, and their stories. It becomes mandatory.
The prelude to the first session of The Chicago Sustainability Series ends this month, but from the beginning I want to share part of the why behind the representative and inclusionary nature of The Series.
To that end, this is an open call for anyone active or curious about sustainability, you are always welcome to every session.
To anyone that would like to recommend a member of their community or themselves, to speak that is doing amazing work in the field, my email is tdemedici@sustainthechi.com.
