Black Geek Culture is Here to Stay
Being called a geek wasn’t always something that filled people with pride. Yet, over the last few decades, geek culture has grown in popularity across the world. From comic books to films and games, geek culture is embedded in pop culture, and Black people are at the forefront.
According to Forbes, Black nerd culture is a multimillion-dollar business. Events like Dream Con, which started in 2018 by content creator group RDCWorld (Real Dreamers Change the World), are annual conventions celebrating gaming, anime, and pop culture. Forbes said Dream Con grew from 800 attendees to over 32,000 in seven years.
There has also been a surge in Black-owned media companies that focus on Black nerd culture or “Blerd culture,” like Black Girl Nerds and Cxmmunity Media.
Even cities like Milwaukee have media companies representing the Blerd culture. According to a press release, Geekset, the Milwaukee-based media collective, has become one of the leading voices in Black geek culture.
A Love Letter to Blerd Culture
Geekset was founded by Rudy “Young Deuces” Strong, Ronnie “BacardiSensei” Cegers Jr., Douglas “Trippie” Walker II, Demetrius “Didge” Strong, and Marcus “King” Penister. Geekset celebrates Black fandom through podcasts, live events, convention programming, and original content that explores the intersections of anime, comics, gaming, film, cosplay, and pop culture.
In 2023, during Dream Con, Geekset announced The Black Geek Documentary, which expands their mission by telling the story of the people, communities, and creators who helped shape Blerd culture. Over the years, Geekset has traveled the country to capture footage and interviews to give a voice to the fast-growing community.
“We want to be reporters of the culture,” Strong said. “There are Blerds everywhere”
During this year’s Dream Con, Geekset announced it has officially partnered with entertainment studio Martian Blueberry to bring The Black Geek Documentary to life. Martian Blueberry is an independent studio founded by Carl Jones, who created The Boondocks, Black Dynamite, and Love Jones.
Strong said Jones reached out to help Geekset see the project through.
“It really turnt a dream into reality,” Strong said.
The Black Geek Documentary is planned to be released in Fall 2027.
Nyesha Stone founded Carvd N Stone in 2017 to cover positive news while attending the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Stone has a B.A. in Journalism. She has raised over $30,000 to award grants and scholarships. She has also been featured in ESSENCE and worked with the American Black Film Festival.
- Nyesha Stone
