Race/Related: Why ‘The Other History of the DC Universe’ Had to Center on Black Lightning

John Ridley was 12 when he first read about Black Lightning. The superhero's story would change him. [View in browser](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhm4aWP4QoAWh0dHBzOi8vbWVzc2FnaW5nLWN1c3RvbS1uZXdzbGV0dGVycy5ueXRpbWVzLmNvbS90ZW1wbGF0ZS9vYWt2Mj9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0zNyZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ycl8yMDIwMTEyMSZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0yNDM0MyZubD1yYWNlJTJGcmVsYXRlZCZwcm9kdWN0Q29kZT1SUiZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9NDUxMzkmdGU9MSZ1cmk9bnl0JTNBJTJGJTJGbmV3c2xldHRlciUyRjIxZTVjOWViLTRiOWMtNTAwOC1iN2NiLWQyNjA2OWZlOTYxYyZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCgArlwG5X6SmjmtSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~)|[nytimes.com](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhm4aWP0SwaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjAxMTIxJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTI0MzQzJm5sPXJhY2UlMkZyZWxhdGVkJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD00NTEzOSZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKACuXAblfpKaOa1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA)[Continue reading the main story](#a11y-skip-ad-marquee) ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhm4aWP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MjA3NTgwJmxpPVJSJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1SUl8yMDIwMTEyMVcDbnl0QgoAK5cBuV-kpo5rUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ [More Race/Related](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhm4aWP0S-aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vc3BvdGxpZ2h0L3JhY2U_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MzcmZW1jPWVkaXRfcnJfMjAyMDExMjEmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MjQzNDMmbmw9cmFjZSUyRnJlbGF0ZWQmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTQ1MTM5JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgoAK5cBuV-kpo5rUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) November 21, 2020 Inside the Other History of Superheroes “The Other History of the DC Universe” recounts both real and fictional events. In this case, Jefferson Pierce, before he became Black Lightning, took part in the 1972 Olympics, and won the men’s decathlon.Giuseppe Camuncoli and Andrea Cucchi/DC By George Gene Gustines When the screenwriter John Ridley pitched “The Other History of the DC Universe,” a five-part comic book series that looks at pivotal events through the perspectives of several nonwhite DC heroes, he knew Black Lightning would be at its center. Ridley was 11 when he met the hero in 1977. “This was a Black man who ostensibly looked like me with his own series,” Mr. Ridley said during a recent interview. An added bonus: “He was a teacher in his secret identity as Jefferson Pierce, the way my mother was a teacher.” The chance encounter, Mr. Ridley said, was profound and far-reaching. Tony Isabela, who created Black Lightning, “had no idea he was inspiring me — literally inspiring me — to become a writer.” Mr. Ridley’s career includes writing for television and film, which earned him an Academy Award in 2014 for Best Adapted Screenplay for “12 Years a Slave.” But he is no stranger to comics. He wrote “The American Way,” which was published in 2006, about a group of heroes in the 1960s and their reaction to a Black member joining the team, and a sequel in 2017. The first issue of “The Other History of the DC Universe” will be released on Tuesday. He is also working on a comic, to be published in January, that features a nonwhite Batman. “Other History,” which is drawn by [Giuseppe Camuncoli](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhm4aWP0TKaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGNjb21pY3MuY29tL3RhbGVudC9naXVzZXBwZS1jYW11bmNvbGk_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MzcmZW1jPWVkaXRfcnJfMjAyMDExMjEmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MjQzNDMmbmw9cmFjZSUyRnJlbGF0ZWQmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTQ1MTM5JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgoAK5cBuV-kpo5rUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) and Andrea Cucchi and painted by Jose Villarubia, begins with Jefferson Pierce and reads like a journal of his most private thoughts. Readers learn about his family and see him become Black Lightning. They also get his views on some of DC’s champions, including John Stewart, who became a Green Lantern in 1971 and has been heralded as the company’s first Black superhero, and the original Justice League, whose members Mr. Ridley pointedly noted were predominately white men. [Continue reading the main story](#a11y-skip-0) ADVERTISEMENT ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhm4aWP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MTc0MTQ5JmxpPVJSJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1SUl8yMDIwMTEyMVcDbnl0QgoAK5cBuV-kpo5rUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhm4aWP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MTc0MTUxJmxpPVJSJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1SUl8yMDIwMTEyMVcDbnl0QgoAK5cBuV-kpo5rUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhm4aWP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MTc0MTUwJmxpPVJSJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1SUl8yMDIwMTEyMVcDbnl0QgoAK5cBuV-kpo5rUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ Subsequent issues will spotlight other characters and will conclude with Anissa Pierce, one of Jefferson’s daughters, a heroine known as Thunder. In a recent telephone interview, Mr. Ridley talked about “Other History,” the new caped crusader and why representation of nonwhite heroes matters. The conversation has been lightly edited. Black Lightning recalls telling Superman that he cannot fly with “his white privilege” to his neighborhood and lecture him on being a hero.Giuseppe Camuncoli and Andrea Cucchi/DC GG: Were you a comics fan growing up? JR: Within reason. There was a time when I hated reading. One day my parents shoved a comic book in my hand, probably to keep me occupied, and it was the first time I really started reading. [Continue reading the main story](#a11y-skip-1) ADVERTISEMENT ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhm4aWP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MjA3NTc3JmxpPVJSJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1SUl8yMDIwMTEyMVcDbnl0QgoAK5cBuV-kpo5rUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhm4aWP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MjA3NTc5JmxpPVJSJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1SUl8yMDIwMTEyMVcDbnl0QgoAK5cBuV-kpo5rUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhm4aWP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MjA3NTc4JmxpPVJSJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1SUl8yMDIwMTEyMVcDbnl0QgoAK5cBuV-kpo5rUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ It was the combination of words that were slightly above my reading level at that time and these images that were fascinating. The first comic that I read was actually kind of graphic for that time period. It was a World’s Finest comic where Superman and Batman wound up in a gulag. It was this story that was not quite heroic and very current and dealt with politics. It had far more impact on the kind of stories that I tell than I would have known. GG: Were you familiar with Black Lightning and his back story? JR: I remember when Black Lightning came out. I remember pulling that issue out of this brown paper bag and being blown away. And the story wasn’t just about fighting super villains — it was about fighting for your community, fighting to make sure students got the quality education they deserved. I still have that very first issue. GG: Jefferson has some tough feelings about John Stewart, who is considered DC’s first Black superhero. [Continue reading the main story](#a11y-skip-2) ADVERTISEMENT ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhm4aWP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9NzI4Njk5JmxpPVJSJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1SUl8yMDIwMTEyMVcDbnl0QgoAK5cBuV-kpo5rUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhm4aWP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9NzI4NzAwJmxpPVJSJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1SUl8yMDIwMTEyMVcDbnl0QgoAK5cBuV-kpo5rUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhm4aWP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9NzI4NzAyJmxpPVJSJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1SUl8yMDIwMTEyMVcDbnl0QgoAK5cBuV-kpo5rUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ JR: Sometimes the hardest expectations to square are the ones from our own community. We expect for us to see the world or certain struggles the same way. That’s just not true. And it’s also not fair to us. We certainly have to be there for each other, but we have to be individuals. I want to honor the canon, but at the same time, I am expressing a very particular version of these heroes. I wanted them as two men of color to have a moment just as men, particularly as Black men, where they engaged. They share tragedy and loss. And how they felt about each other was maybe different from the reality of where their relationship needed to be. Black Lightning saw the Justice League's recruitment of him as tokenism. "They finally offered me membership with all the grace and dignity of liberals tripping over their own condescension," he recalled.Giuseppe Camuncoli and Andrea Cucchi/DC GG: Jefferson also has pointed views on Superman. Did you get pushback? JR: No, because it is not about Superman being a bad guy. We visit Superman and other heroes through the lens of these characters. Even though Superman is an immigrant and truly an alien, his passport is stamped because of the way he looks and because of the way he presents himself. All of these characters have to reconcile how they view other people and whether they’re being fair. If I made Superman or Batman or Wonder Woman bad people, I’m sure we would have had pushback. But it was all fair game if it came from a perspective that felt real and grounded. GG: How did the project initially come together? JR: I was very nervous when I pitched it. It was a kind of arrogance, maybe, to come back and say, I want to look at your entire history and shift the lens a little and have some real talk about some of these characters. To their credit, DC saw the value. This was long before the current reckoning on race and representation. When you’re dealing with stories about race, otherization, people outside of the prevailing culture, unfortunately, it’s going to be relevant almost any time it comes out. GG: Let’s talk about your upcoming Batman comic and your tease that it would highly likely be a nonwhite Batman. JR: Let me confirm that it is definitely a Black person under the cowl. It was an off-the-cuff line, meant to be humorous. Comic book fans are the best fans. They will go through everything and check it and recheck it. It was the quip heard around the world. Definitely, without a doubt, the next Batman is a Black Batperson. GG: I love that you’re saying “person” and not “man.” JR: I have to have what fun I can. There’s no reason in the modern era to think that the person who is representing Batman is a man. But whoever it is, it is an interesting opportunity to populate the world around this new Batman. We’ll have some interesting characters coming in and a lot of representation. It was really important to make sure that this Gotham City was well represented. John Ridley has written a story, to be published in January, that features a Black person as Batman. The design for the new Batman's costume gives no clue to the identity of the person wearing the cowl.Nick Derington/DC GG: Have you gotten any negative reaction to the focus of these stories? JR: I’m not on social media. I don’t spend a lot of time parsing what others say, and by the way, they have a right to say it. It’s part of the fun of being a fan. Look, it is the absolute truth: you cannot please everybody. I have an audience of two. I have my two boys. This is the first time that I can recall they’ve been genuinely excited about my work. They appreciate the things that I do. They’re happy for me. They’re great supporters. But they would much rather see “Black Panther” than “12 Years a Slave,” let’s be honest. So to be able to write the next Batman, for them to know that this next Batman is going to be Black, everybody else on the planet can hate it, have a problem with it, denigrate it, but I have my audience and they already love it. GG: Do you read a lot of comics? Representation has certainly increased since we were kids. JR: It has. I certainly don’t read as much as I did up until I was about 30. I still buy probably too much. My wife is a little like, “it’s OK to grow up at any moment.” There’s so much more representation than when I was growing up, but is there ever enough? When you talk to a young Latinx, they’re going to say no. If you talk to someone from the L.G.B.T. community or young Black people or young women or people of any age who are looking for inspiration, there is never going to be enough. But there’s more, and more importantly, not just on the page, but the folks behind the scenes: the writers and artists making the stories. It’s great to have more representation. When you create it, it’s an invitation to people to join in — with their time, their money and sometimes with their talent. I’m more excited about the representation that these companies are trying to carve out behind the scenes because that’s the biggest difference. EDITOR’S PICKS We publish many articles that touch on race. Here are a few you shouldn’t miss. [[Article Image] Brian Rea](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhm4aWP0T4aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8xMS8xOC9zdHlsZS9tb2Rlcm4tbG92ZS1wb2RjYXN0LXJhY2UtYXNpYW4tYW1lcmljYW4tZmlyc3QtZGF0ZS5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjAxMTIxJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTI0MzQzJm5sPXJhY2UlMkZyZWxhdGVkJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD00NTEzOSZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKACuXAblfpKaOa1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) [Modern Love Podcast: Confronting Race on the First Date “How did we match on a dating app in the first place? 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By Tyler Kepner and James Wagner](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhm4aWP0TkaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8xMS8xOC9zcG9ydHMvYmFzZWJhbGwva2ltLW5nLW1pYW1pLW1hcmxpbnMuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD0zNyZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ycl8yMDIwMTEyMSZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0yNDM0MyZubD1yYWNlJTJGcmVsYXRlZCZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9NDUxMzkmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCgArlwG5X6SmjmtSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) [[Article Image] HBO](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhm4aWP0ToaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8xMS8xNy9hcnRzL3RlbGV2aXNpb24vZnJlc2gtcHJpbmNlLXJldW5pb24taGJvLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MzcmZW1jPWVkaXRfcnJfMjAyMDExMjEmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MjQzNDMmbmw9cmFjZSUyRnJlbGF0ZWQmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTQ1MTM5JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgoAK5cBuV-kpo5rUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) [What the ‘Fresh Prince’ of the ’90s Tells Us About Race Now A generation ago, sitcoms with largely Black casts were must-see TV, balancing humor and drama. Will the “Bel-Air” reboot resonate in the era of Black Lives Matter? By Maria Cramer and Allyson Waller](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhm4aWP0ToaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8xMS8xNy9hcnRzL3RlbGV2aXNpb24vZnJlc2gtcHJpbmNlLXJldW5pb24taGJvLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9MzcmZW1jPWVkaXRfcnJfMjAyMDExMjEmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MjQzNDMmbmw9cmFjZSUyRnJlbGF0ZWQmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTQ1MTM5JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgoAK5cBuV-kpo5rUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) [[Article Image] Donavon Smallwood](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhm4aWP0TsaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8xMS8xOS90LW1hZ2F6aW5lL25pbmEtY2hhbmVsLWFibmV5LXF1ZWVyLWJsYWNrLWFydC5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjAxMTIxJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTI0MzQzJm5sPXJhY2UlMkZyZWxhdGVkJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD00NTEzOSZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKACuXAblfpKaOa1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) [Artist’s Questionnaire Nina Chanel Abney Imagines a Queer Black Utopia The artist’s new body of work depicts life outside of the city, in a rural idyll free of the white gaze. By Erica Rawles](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhm4aWP0TsaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8xMS8xOS90LW1hZ2F6aW5lL25pbmEtY2hhbmVsLWFibmV5LXF1ZWVyLWJsYWNrLWFydC5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjAxMTIxJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTI0MzQzJm5sPXJhY2UlMkZyZWxhdGVkJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD00NTEzOSZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKACuXAblfpKaOa1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) [[Article Image] Marcy Nighswander/Associated Press](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhm4aWP0TaaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8xMS8xOC91cy9wb2xpdGljcy9kcmV3LWRheXMtZGVhZC5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjAxMTIxJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTI0MzQzJm5sPXJhY2UlMkZyZWxhdGVkJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD00NTEzOSZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKACuXAblfpKaOa1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) [Drew Days, First Black Leader of Civil Rights Unit, Dies at 79 Born in the segregated South, Mr. Days, who later became solicitor general, knew from an early age that he wanted to work for civil rights. By Katharine Q. Seelye](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhm4aWP0TaaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8xMS8xOC91cy9wb2xpdGljcy9kcmV3LWRheXMtZGVhZC5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjAxMTIxJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTI0MzQzJm5sPXJhY2UlMkZyZWxhdGVkJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD00NTEzOSZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKACuXAblfpKaOa1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) [[Article Image] Gregory Carideo, via Gordon Robichaux, NY](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhm4aWP0TaaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8xMS8xOC9hcnRzL2ZyZWRlcmljay13ZXN0b24tZGVhZC5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjAxMTIxJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTI0MzQzJm5sPXJhY2UlMkZyZWxhdGVkJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD00NTEzOSZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKACuXAblfpKaOa1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) [Frederick Weston, Outsider Artist Who Was Finally Let In, Dies at 73 For decades he made his art in dingy Manhattan hotel rooms, living hand-to-mouth, hoping for his big break. It finally arrived, just a few years before his death. By Alex Vadukul](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhm4aWP0TaaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8xMS8xOC9hcnRzL2ZyZWRlcmljay13ZXN0b24tZGVhZC5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjAxMTIxJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTI0MzQzJm5sPXJhY2UlMkZyZWxhdGVkJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD00NTEzOSZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKACuXAblfpKaOa1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) Invite your friends. Invite someone to subscribe to the [Race/Related](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhm4aWP0TyaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vbmV3c2xldHRlcnMvcmFjZS1yZWxhdGVkP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTM3JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMTkwNjI4JmVtYz1lZGl0X3JyXzIwMjAxMTIxJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTI0MzQzJm5sPXJhY2UtcmVsYXRlZCZubD1yYWNlJTJGcmVsYXRlZCZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9NDUxMzkmdGU9MSZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKACuXAblfpKaOa1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) newsletter. 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