The Revolutionary Torchy Brown

  Torchy Brown was a strong, female character that was popular in the 1930s.  And not only was she a strong female, but a strong Black female at that, and one who had aspirations and goals to further herself in life.  In an America that still had Jim Crow laws and segregation in the South and mistreatment of Black people throughout the United States, this must have been revolutionary.  A black, female protagonist was a new concept to comics at this time.  She wasn't overly portrayed with exaggerated features or outlandish speech as depicted in Tin Tin.  She also doesn't play a stereotypical role of nurse, housekeeper, or being regulated to the sidekick position.  Instead, she is the strong-willed protagonist who dreams of big-city life, fashion, and has a mysterious past regarding her mother, a divorcee (which would have also been considered revolutionary for it's time).
  The way in which Torchy is depicted in the comics is also unconventional for the time.  She is shown not as a stereotype, but as an attractive, young women.  She gets dressed in the latest fashions and hairstyles.  She also shows quite a bit of skin in a way that isn't overtly sexual - short shorts and dresses are an integral part of her wardrobe.  But comments are never made to her appearance in a sexual manner and her fashionable dress is treated as normal, despite her being a farm girl.  Jackie Ormes probably created a character that she aspired to be and wanted to give other young girls to look up to: a relatable, pretty, funny, self-determined woman of color who commanded her own comic strip and her own life.  Torchy makes the decision to sell her farm animals in order to go to the city and she negotiates with a farmer on her own about reducing prices.  Essentially, this 1930s Black woman is in charge of her own life!  Which was fantastic!
  However, that brings up the question as to why it is so hard to depict a woman of color in mainstream media these days with the same confidence, lack of stereotypes, and command of her own story as a protagonist in her own right.  We rarely see strong women of color on TV or in movies as the protagonists.  Does it fall to the creators of these media outlets to show more diversity?  Is it because the majority of the media is mainly controlled by white males?  Can women write women better than men?  Can people best depict their own identity within comics (i.e. a Black woman)?  Reading Torchy Brown brought all of these questions to mind for me.