I am really excited about this brand new convention coming to Baltimore because I know how hard the creators have been working to get this off the ground. On April 27, 2018 at the Baltimore Convention Center, Jamie Broadnax of Black Girl Nerds and Robert Butler, CEO of The Black Geeks are joining forces to bring you the first annual Universal Fan Con. You know what this means?
No more asking for inclusion or diversity. No more hoping that no one criticizes you for dressing up as a character of another race or gender. No more wondering if you’re too old to cosplay. No more looking for other geeks of color to hang out with. No more wondering if you can get your wheelchair into Artists Alley. Because Universal Fan Con was created for the rest of us.
“UFC hopes to fill the void of Diversity and give fans the chance to see the geek community through a diverse set of eyes,” said Butler. UFC aims to be a 24 hour convention; meaning that all day and night there will be a panel or event running. “We felt that the only way to ensure that as many groups as possible were represented, we have to keep it going, ” said Butler.
This event is a huge undertaking which is why the creators have set up a Kickstarter to help defray some of the costs. They have also partnered with actor and comedian Lamorne Morris from Fox’s hit show New Girl, who will not only be hosting panels and other fan events at the con, but will be one of several celebrity guests in attendance.
I have no doubt that this event will be a success since the kickstarter for the event has already surpassed its $25K goal. There’s about a week left in the campaign, so if you can, please contribute more so that we can help defray any unexpected costs that may come up with planning an event of this size.
“We’re redefining what diversity is, and hope you will join us in 2018,” – Jamie Broadnax, Black Girl Nerds
TO DONATE TO THE KICKSTARTER CLICK HERE
About The Black Geeks
The Black Geeks are a community of people who share a love for geek culture, be it tech, movies, video games, or comics. Our members engage in lively debates and substantive discourse rooted in the fan experience. The Black Geeks provide a space for independent content and in depth discussion that highlights the good, while simultaneously providing constructive critiques and potential solutions for the bad. Their mission is to push boundaries, redefine stereotypes, and move diversity to the frontlines.
About Black Girl Nerds
Black Girl Nerds is a place for women of color with various eccentricities to express themselves freely and embrace who they are. This is not a site exclusively for Black women. It’s for ALL women who are just as nerdy as we are and the men who love and appreciate us. We represent a wide array of diverse women who embrace all cultures and refuse to conform to the status quo. The mission is to put an end to that and know that many Black Girl Nerds exist on this planet.
This community encourages other bloggers, web creators, and the like to create niche sites such as this one to spread to the world that being a nerd is a lovely thing. In fact, being a nerd is a gift and should be highly revered.
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