Comic book characters of color have decades of rich history. Not until recently, with the explosion of Black Panther and Luke Cage, have these superheroes commanded leading roles and representation. Representation matters to children when they see a superhero that looks like them and see themselves in that hero. Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library is committed to offering cultural events that showcase community diversity, and developed an event to celebrate all heroes of color, on book pages and in real life.

AfroCon would become the first library event of its kind in the state, emphasizing that fictional places and gifted characters of fantasy worlds are for all. Library staff engaged the Ada T. Payne Friends of the Urban Libraries, local artists and schools, who helped plan and championed the event. These efforts resulted in AfroCon becoming a showcase of the community’s superpowers. These strong community partnerships generated substantial buzz about AfroCon, with no marketing investment other than printed materials.

In March 2019, 1,035 people of all ages celebrated superheroes of color with crafts, a fan art contest, photo ops, an escape room, gaming and a cosplay contest. AfroCon brought the community together in an environment of diversity and inclusion. One nine-year-old shared how we are all capable of having superpowers: “I’m pretty good at math, I’m a good reader and I’m always kind to my friends.” AfroCon will become an annual signature event for Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library.