Black Cultural Center celebrates black superheroes

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Purdue University Black Cultural Center will present a comic exhibit Tuesday (Jan. 30) through March 30 that will showcase black comic book heroes in print and figure.

The exhibit, titled “We Wear the Mask: The Black Heroes and Sheroes of the Comic Book Universe,” uses comics and figures from the extensive collection of Frank X Walker, emeritus poet laureate of Kentucky and English professor at the University of Kentucky. The exhibit on display at the Black Cultural Center will be open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 2-8 p.m. on Sunday. It is free and open to the public.

“The exhibit is part of a larger collection owned and curated by Frank X Walker,” said Bill Caise, assistant director of the Black Cultural Center. “It has been traveling around the country, and we felt that it would be great, given the excitement around the release of the movie "Black Panther," if we could bring the exhibit to campus and expose the Purdue community to some of the known and lesser known black heroes and sheroes.”

When addressing the exhibit, Walker and Caise decided that they would like to show a balance of both the known and unknown heroes, as well as male and female heroes.

“We had many conversations concerning what we would like the exhibit to show, and we wanted to make sure that female heroes had their space,” said Caise. “I think that anyone who loves comic books will really dig this exhibit.”

To complement the exhibit, the Black Cultural Center will host a private screening of the Marvel movie "Black Panther" at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 16 at the Wabash Landing 9 theaters.     

Writer: Olivia Crouse, ocrouse@purdue.edu 

Source: Renee Thomas, director of the Black Cultural Center, 765-494-3091, rathomas@purdue.edu