Brooke House College: Superman and Equality
“Superman has always been political. He was created by Jewish writers Jerry Siegal and Joe Shuster. Siegal’s parents fled Lithuania in 1900 to escape anti-Semitism. Shuster’s father was from the Netherlands and his mother was from Ukraine. The pair met in Ohio. Both were shy, wore spectacles, and loved science fiction.
Action Comics issue one, Superman’s first appearance, came out in June 1938. A young orphan is shot out from a decaying planet, ravaged by climate change, to land on a fertile Earth. He is blessed with superhuman powers, as a champion of the oppressed. In his very first adventure, he saves an innocent woman from being executed by the state, in the second, a woman experiencing domestic abuse. In the third adventure, we see him in his civilian persona, as the journalist Clark Kent: bespectacled, nervous, socially uncomfortable.
Superman is an undocumented immigrant, intent on doing his best for his new home from home. A shy man who conceals an inner heroism. The chief villain is Lex Luthor, incensed that Superman, being from another planet, is considered a hero. Superman is adopted as a child as the son of a low-income farming family who fights for social responsibility, using his great powers to help others rather than become either rich or famous.
After decades of straight white men dominating the superhero landscape, comics publishers have started to branch out. The new comic Spiderman Miles Morales’s mother is half black and half Latin American. Ms Marvel is a Muslim. Tim Drake, the third Robin, came out as bisexual. And now Jon Kent, son of Superman, has joined him. On screen, this year’s summer blockbuster, Shang Chi, features an Asian superhero. Black Panther featured a black superhero.
Perhaps, in the end, that is what the reactionaries in the supernatural and the real world fear most: that people of other races, genders and sexualities will have a sense of power and autonomy which they themselves enjoy. Or maybe they sense that in the Superman story, they would be the bad guys.
Equality is the right of different groups of people to have the same treatment, to be treated fairly and have the same opportunities – a fundamental pillar within education.
We all have superpowers, the capacity to make a difference, to be nurtured and coached. At Brooke House , we celebrate individual talents and the opportunity to go far together, through collaboration and valuing community identity. Our School Council is a good example of this, drawing on individual and House perspectives to bring forward improvements for everyone. I have enjoyed visiting all our boarding houses in the last week with our Leo, our Vice Principal (Pupil Development and Wellbeing). Another week of demanding football fixtures serves to reflect the collegiate strengths of different teams and the creativity of individual players to produce magic moments of skill and impact.
Ahead of our week, our teachers will share resources to make us think and reflect on equality and the importance of demonstrating anti-racism to promote opportunities for everyone to make their contribution in our shared community, to our shared planet.”
Posted originally on 15th October 2021.
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