When lightning strikes
NAFESSA WILLIAMS EXPLAINS WHY SHE’S WALKING IN HER PURPOSE AS TV’S FIRST BLACK LESBIAN SUPERHERO
BLACK LIGHTNING
WORDS ROXY BOURDILLON, PHOTOS ©2018 WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT INC.
The first time Nafessa Williams suited up as Anissa/Thunder in The CW’s Black Lightning, she wept. She knew she was about to do something revolutionary. Saving the world would no longer be reserved for straight white men. She would show queer women and little girls of colour that they too could be superheroes. Nevertheless, nothing could prepare her for quite how seismic the impact would be. This groundbreaking series, depicting a black family with special powers protecting their city from threats, including police brutality, sex trafficking and gun violence, caught the imagination of millions of viewers. Thunder became our very own bold, beautiful, black superqueero. Now she’s back for round two, just in time for Black History Month, to inspire us once more.
DIVA: I’m so excited to talk to you. You’ve genuinely made history on this show and provided so many people with such a powerful role model. How do you feel about representing queer women of colour?