The pros and cons of an all black superhero group

I recently read a Black Panther story in which he, Luke Cage, Brother Voodoo, Blade and Photon/Pulsar all team up to fight vampires in post Hurricane Katrina New Orleans. Some people in the Gen Discussion MB have floated the idea of an all black team of superheroes(the Panther, Cage, Brother Voodoo, Blade and Pulsar/Photon are of course all black or at the very least of African descent). I think this would be a terribly bad idea and will explain why. It is true that until the Black Panther, the Falcon and ultimately Photon( or Captain Marvel II as Monica Rambeau first titled herself) joined the ranks of the Avengers, "Earth's Mightiest Heroes" was virtually lily white, and that there is precedent in the Marvel Universe for a group of heroes united by a single restrictive concept(ie the X-Men by virtue of being mutants, the Winter Guard, Alpha Flight and Big Hero 6 by virtue of being citizens of the Russian Federation, the Dominion of Canada, or Japan respectively), but there are numerous reasons for being opposed to the very idea of an all-black team of superheroes/heroines. Firstly who defines who is"black"?

(yes I am aware of the old trope about "one drop of black blood makes you black", which dates back to the days of plantation slavery- even if in practical terms you are fairer skinned than Michelle Pfeiffer, Sharon Stone or Drew Barrymore. When Vanessa Williams of "Ugly Betty " fame won the Miss America title back in 1983- she was later faced to resign her title after nude photos of her appared in "Playboy"- critics noted her fair skin, green eyes and auburn hair, although she had NEVER denied her African American heritage or sought to "pass" as white- any more than Barack Obama has tried to do so)

Seondly it would set a bad precedent- if all black superhero teams are allowed then why not all white ones? All male or all female ones?All Jewish/Catholic/Muslim/Hindu ones?

No , as proud as I am of heroes/heroines who also men and women of colour(mainly but not exclusively in the marvel Universe) an "all black team of superheroes" would a bad idea for more than one reason.

Anybody think as I do?

Terry

I think like you do. That being said, I think there could be a cool story arc about a temporary team of all black heroes. Like... an alternate reality or an alien planet where race was used as a story device and our heroes, realized that the only way a certain task could be carried out would be by characters who shared a common characteristic that due to their circumstance required? Sort of like those issues with a female seductress mind controls the men and only the woman can stop it so you get a team of woman?  
 
I wrote a story about my favorite Native Americans going on a mission. Nothing they planned, just some old Aztec god decided to match em up or something random. I agree with your points. 

@Paracelsus: If they're coming together as a result of similar interest then i don't give a crap what color the team is made up of.If they specifically made the team just for blacks or will kick out out person of another color from joining their cause then that's bad.

From what it sounds like its the first instance, race has nothing to do with it then and i don't care if it was an all white, all latino, all asian, all muslim, all hindu, all racist, all native america, all indian, all green skinned or etc team. I don't look at that stuff when i read comics.

Like Fantastic Four, all white but so what? Their rooster has nothing to do with discrimination against people of other color from joining them. its just how the team was made and it just so happened that the first family was an all white family.

@TheNooseIsLoose said:

@difficlus: But is you give them coloreds a superhero team next they'll be sleeping with our women! IF ANYONE HAS SEX WITH MY SISTER IT'S GOING TO BE ME!!!

Lol.