Episode 18, ACT 2: Elgin Bokari Smith - CommUNITY Calling: A Flashpoint for Representation

In Act 2, Courtney continues her phone chat with illustrator/educator Elgin Bokari Smith. 3Arts/Denise & Gary Gardner Awardee (2018), Bokari Smith is the creator of Pocket Con, a free convention for Chicago youth that focuses on highlighting comics and illustration work by artists of color—particularly African American authors and artists—as well as comics with a primary character who is Black. Pocket Con also features work in the comic genre by other underrepresented groups, such as women, Latinx, LGBTQ artists, and artists with disabilities. In their conversation, Courtney and Elgin discuss how arts accessibility for young people of color and lack of opportunity for artists to create quality art and arts programming without proper funding. They also touch on the importance of representation of people of color in illustrated works like comic books.