Raising Dion is a superhero science fiction series on Netflix created by Carol Barbee based on the 2015 comic book series and short film by Dennis Liu. The series, executively produced by Michael B. Jordan who also has a recurring role in the film as the protagonist’s deceased father, follows single mother Nicole Reese, played by Alisha Wainwright, who faces the challenges of raising her 8-year old son Dion, played by Ja’Siah Young, who suddenly develops super powers. The 9-episode opening season followed Reese as she shockingly discovered her son’s new powers and later struggles to teach him how to control his powers to avoid getting discovered by those looking to exploit him to find the origin of his abilities. The series has received nationwide attention as it joins the list of Black superhero fiction narratives like Marvel’s Black Panther and Into the Spiderverse.
The idea of mysticism and magic has always been a part of Black culture as it pertains to the notion of the innate power of Black people to combat seemingly unstoppable forces of evil. In one episode, Dion accidently uses his powers to harm a bully who steals his deceased father’s watch. When Dion and the bully are both reprimanded, it is evident that the only proof the teacher has is that Dion’s watch was stolen. However, this fact is disregarded as Dion is treated much more severely by the teacher. It is important to note that Dion is the only Black body in this scenario; both bully and teacher are White. Dion, although innocent of blame, is only a black body for his white teacher, looking to make trouble for his White students. At a mere 8 years old, Dion was unable to understand why, although he had done nothing wrong, he was treated more harshly than his White bully. Throughout the episode, he implores his mother constantly for some explanation.
Here the series portrays both the hardship of raising a child by oneself and the pain of teaching a Black child that his Blackness will make him a second-class citizen in the eyes of White figures.
This is a moment that every Black parent dreads for there truly is no explanation as to why even children would be the subject of racism and discrimination. Nicole is torn between telling Dion the truth about his fate as a Black man in America and preserving some amount of ignorance in her child. As the season progresses, viewers watch as Dion is forced to mature from a carefree child to a budding young adult who must now be conscious of his appearance and actions in every space, burdened with the pressure that a single mistake could be his last. I am sure that a lot of Black men can relate, recalling back to some time in their youth when they were forced to come to terms that they were not granted the same right to life as their white counterparts.
Nicole serves as a security blanket for Dion, reassuring him in his abilities and pushing him to unapologetically be himself despite the innumerable odds stacked against him. The villains that torment his safety mirror real life horrors that plague the Black man; the government, school officials, and everyday people that look to him as an other. It will be interesting to see how the narrative progresses and how Dion grows as a Black man and a superhero.