Inspired by the growing popularity of comic book dialogue, literature, and academia, Angelique interviews professor and comic book historian Deborah Elizabeth Whaley. Whaley is the author of Black Women in Sequence: Re-inking Comics, Graphic Novels, and Anime, a deep dive into the history (or lack thereof) of Black women’s representation in sequential art. They talk about the importance of scholarship in comics, little-known Black female artists and heroes, and how consumers of color create meaning when engaging with art.

Last month, a firestorm of criticism erupted after players shared images of a single rack of dumbbells and a stack of yoga mats provided for participants in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament in San Antonio — a stark contrast to the state-of-the-art, custom-built weight room available to men’s basketball players in Indianapolis. It exposed the blatant double standard in college athletics and renewed demands for reform from female athletes, coaches and even politicians. An often forgotten chapter of college athletics offers hope that such reform is possible.