I was at DragonCon one year when Avery Brooks was on a panel, and a Black dude stood up and talked about how the year DS9 came on, he became the sole custodial guardian of his small son, and he was *terrified* and felt helpless, because he hadn’t really had a father himself, and he didn’t really know any Black fathers he particularly wanted to emulate, and no Black single fathers at all. He talked about how every week he’d put his kid to bed and sit down and watch Deep Space Nine, and think to himself, “Okay, this, I want us to be this kind of father and son,” and how, silly as it might sound, the idea that Ben could be there for Jake, all the time, successfully, and earn his admiration and trust, was the only source he really had of inspiration, the only voice that was telling him he could handle this job.
I swear to fuck there was a whole auditorium of people in tears by the time he was done, including both him and Brooks. It was one of the most beautiful moments I ever saw about the sometimes bloodless-sounding term “representation,” and about fandom in general, and I will never forget it.
remember when avery brooks directed two of the best episodes of ds9 (and all of trek imo), and gave us an intimate, explicitly romantic - but not overly sexualized - kiss between two women, AND a scene about police brutality, from the pov of a black man, that (appropriately) framed the white policeman as literal monsters without being graphically exploitive in its depiction of violence? like he did that!!
Icons, 200x100, slightly sharpened, from DS9 S1 HERE.
Benjamin Sisko #26,000
Ferengi (Nog, Rom, Quark & the Grand Nagus) #9,800
Garak #161
Jadzia Dax #11,300
Jake Sisko #4,000
Jean Luc Picard #700
Jennifer Sisko #1,000
Julian Bashir #11,600
Kai Opaka #1,500
Kai Winn #900
Keiko O’Brien #1,800
Kira Nerys #19,000
Lwaxan Troi #1,700
Miles O’Brien #14,400
Odo #17,000
Q #1,700
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Light one up for Avery Brooks’ birthday, stoners! Sisko IS the sexiest captain (YEAH I SAID IT), followed by Janeway in a short sleeve top. #StupidSexySisko
