Redding Brothers
Cartoonist Speaks at SCCAaron McGruder speaks at SCC
In 1997, something happened at the University of Maryland that would be the beginning to one of the most successful political comic strips. In the small, student-run newspaper, the Diamondback, Aaron McGruder’s “The Boondocks” made its first of many appearances in print.
McGruder will make his mark on another campus Wednesday, Oct. 29, when he is here to speak about his latest book, “A Right to Be Hostile.” Part of the College’s Arts and Lecture Series, McGruder’s talk will focus on his goal to improve the state of racial discourse and expand our knowledge of racial politics, with humor to lighten the mood.
McGruder’s comic strip was printed in city newspapers for the first time in April 1999 and has since been circulated in more than 300 newspapers and in magazines such as The Source, People and Newsweek. The strip has been controversially described more than once as having “dashikis and Brand Nubian CDs meet the Gap and Hanson,” according to press for the event.
While McGruder has always loved sharing his comical view of life, he noticed that after Sept. 11 his attitude and view on making “The Boondocks” changed. In his book, McGruder said he suddenly saw his little space in the newspaper as the gateway to preaching about more important subjects such as the social and political injustices in the world today. “The Boondocks” reflects McGruder’s views on everything from politics, to celebrities, to the things people ponder on in everyday life. Set among a group of Black city kids adjusting to their new lives in white suburbia, the strip reflects McGruder’s own stories mixed with the radical problems going on in today’s society.
McGruder’s talk will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the SCC Gymnasium. Cost is $14 general admission, with reduced prices for students and children. For more information, visit www.shoreline.edu.