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<blockquote data-quote="Mannahnin" data-source="post: 8472087" data-attributes="member: 7026594">It's a subjective experience, but generally, lots of folks have talked about how the experience of seeing or hearing about a protagonist or positive character who shares demographic qualities with themselves inspires them.&nbsp; That it creates a feeling of &quot;I could do that&quot; or &quot;I could be heroic&quot;.Whoopi Goldberg's often told the story of how seeing Nichelle Nichols as Lt. Uhura on Star Trek was such a powerful experience- seeing a black woman on a popular TV show as a skilled and trusted bridge officer on a space ship!&nbsp; Instead of as a maid, which was almost the only role you'd see black women in prior to that time.&nbsp; Nichelle Nicols, in turn, talked about how she had actually considered leaving the show, but Martin Luther King Jr. himself asked her not to, convincing her that she was a powerful role model playing that character, and an inspiration to a lot of other kids.I just saw a post from someone I know who was sickly as a child who recalled reading about how President Teddy Roosevelt had also been sickly and asthmatic as a child, but was able to exercise and became strong and healthy, serving in the military and being famously energetic, and even becoming President.&nbsp;&nbsp; My friend also grew up to serve and to command as an officer in the military, and to become a very physically (and emotionally, from what I've seen) strong human being.&nbsp; Another friend also chimed in that, having been asthmatic as a child, as a kid he also found Roosevelt's story inspiring and that it gave him hope.I've also heard that historically a lot of BIPOC folks get into anime and comic books because mainstream mass media (film and television) has historically had fewer positive POC role models.Tiny grammatical note on a great post.&nbsp; &quot;Transgendered&quot; is not currently the preferred form.&nbsp; Transgender is generally used.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Mannahnin, post: 8472087, member: 7026594"] It's a subjective experience, but generally, lots of folks have talked about how the experience of seeing or hearing about a protagonist or positive character who shares demographic qualities with themselves inspires them. That it creates a feeling of "I could do that" or "I could be heroic". Whoopi Goldberg's often told the story of how seeing Nichelle Nichols as Lt. Uhura on Star Trek was such a powerful experience- seeing a black woman on a popular TV show as a skilled and trusted bridge officer on a space ship! Instead of as a maid, which was almost the only role you'd see black women in prior to that time. Nichelle Nicols, in turn, talked about how she had actually considered leaving the show, but Martin Luther King Jr. himself asked her not to, convincing her that she was a powerful role model playing that character, and an inspiration to a lot of other kids. I just saw a post from someone I know who was sickly as a child who recalled reading about how President Teddy Roosevelt had also been sickly and asthmatic as a child, but was able to exercise and became strong and healthy, serving in the military and being famously energetic, and even becoming President. My friend also grew up to serve and to command as an officer in the military, and to become a very physically (and emotionally, from what I've seen) strong human being. Another friend also chimed in that, having been asthmatic as a child, as a kid he also found Roosevelt's story inspiring and that it gave him hope. I've also heard that historically a lot of BIPOC folks get into anime and comic books because mainstream mass media (film and television) has historically had fewer positive POC role models. Tiny grammatical note on a great post. "Transgendered" is not currently the preferred form. Transgender is generally used. [/QUOTE]

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