The Childishness of Racism Comes Alive in “Cartooning While Black”

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It’s not impossible to talk to kids about racism. In fact, it can be an active and thoughtful experience. Just ask Victor Varnado (Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel Live), the creator of the satirical yet sensible The Anti-Racism Activity Book and artist in the forthcoming “Cartooning While Black” exhibit (appearing at the ChaShaMa Gallery at 320 West 23rd Street, NY, NY from Thursday, July 15, 2021 to Thursday, August 5th).

The interactive collection of artwork, published by One Idea Press and framed in the form of coloring pages, puzzles, and “implied acceptance” is an exercise in comedy and activism that he sees as appropriate for “adults and kids who have a trusted adult nearby to explain things.”

“I think humor helps when talking about rough subjects. People are forced to listen because they are being entertained.” That listening can translate into learning, especially when activities like the ones in the book encourage readers to engage with what they see and read. And for Varnado, a Black comedian who shares a home state with George Floyd, the opportunity to use his voice onstage and through his cartoons became too important to ignore:

When I saw what happened to George Floyd it was deeply affecting […] I have unfortunately witnessed first-hand being mistreated by and seeing the Minneapolis police mistreat family members and friends. My older brother even had a scar on his wrist from the police cinching his cuffs extra tight until he screamed out in pain. He was being arrested for a drunken fight at a dance club.

Varnado channelled this experience, along with the galvanizing nature of the protests that surrounded Floyd’s murder, into a New Yorker cartoon that ended up being one of the magazine’s most engaged with pieces of content of 2020. His feat with the New Yorker inspired him to share this platform with a regrettably small fraternity: that of fellow Black New Yorker cartoonists Yasin Osman, Akeem S Roberts, and Jerald Lewis II. “Originally the exhibit was planned as a preview for The Anti-Racism Activity Book,” Varnado told me, “but grew because since I became a New Yorker cartoonist in the first place, I have been obsessed with showcasing and promoting the work of other black cartoonists. And honestly, we are in an incredibly small club right now so we should definitely lift each other up whenever we can.”

Rebecca Mills, the curator for “Cartooning While Black,” found the smallness of this group intriguing when she signed on to the project. “I am a guerilla-type curator, meaning I like to seek out and create exhibitions that are atypical in nature compared to the academic and elitist tradition of the curatorial role,” she shared ahead of the exhibit’s opening. She added, “It has also been a special treat to know that there hasn’t been an exhibit like this before as far as I’ve been told and so I wanted to especially be flexible while still giving the exhibit the same integrity as any other exhibit I have worked on before.”

The energy, inspiration, and introspection of the exhibit will be available to all, and runs through August 5th. And yes, all truly are welcome to come and enjoy the exhibit. Says Varnado, “I hope that black people will see a voice to a circumstance that they experience daily, and I hope white people get more insight. Also, I hope everyone gets a laugh.”

 

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Amma Marfo

Amma Marfo is a writer, speaker, and podcaster based in Boston, MA. Her writing has appeared in Femsplain, The Good Men Project, Pacific Standard, and Talking Points Memo. Chances are good that as you're reading this, she's somewhere laughing.
Amma Marfo
Amma Marfo
Amma Marfo is a writer, speaker, and podcaster based in Boston, MA. Her writing has appeared in Femsplain, The Good Men Project, Pacific Standard, and Talking Points Memo. Chances are good that as you're reading this, she's somewhere laughing.