The creators of Steven Universe released a new public service announcement about anti-racism as part of the previously-announced The Crystal Gems Say Be Anti-Racist campaign.
The PSA centers on Pearl (voiced by DeeDee Magno Hall), who is in the midst of filming a segment about why the education system in the United States needs to do a better job of telling the whole truth. Specifically, she points out that Thomas Edison wasn't the only person involved with the alleged "invention" of the light bulb. In fact, it was a black American inventor named Lewis Latimer who invented the process for making carbon filaments and also taught the process to company workers.
"Wait, is that it? Hold on," Pearl says when the director cuts the scene after a brief mention of Latimer. "We're not going to explain why he created the filament? To create a better standard of living for people who had only just been freed from slavery? Are we going to ask why kids are apparently learning about Thomas Edison and not learning about Lewis Latimer? These textbooks are incomplete."
Pearl continues: "There were black Roman warriors, black medieval knights, black classical musicians, black cowboys, black fighter pilots, where are they? I worry about you humans because you idly live, what, hundred years? You rely on these stories to know your own history. Thanks to systemic racism, most of your storytellers prioritize white accomplishments, which leaves you with an incomplete picture."
Pearl also encourages young viewers to question what they're learning in class, suggesting, "Ask yourself, as you're learning history, 'Who's telling the story? Was this modified to make white readers comfortable? Are major details being left out that would credit people of color and center their point of view?' Honestly, I should have asked for script approval before agreeing to do this." When the director of the PSA-within-a-PSA apologizes and explains, "We didn't know," Pearl exclaims, "Well, now you know!" The promo closes with a colorful graphic that reads, "Tell the whole story. Be anti-racist."
The PSA about Edison and Latimer is the second of two that were written and directed by Rebecca Sugar and Ian Jones-Quartey, with guidance from anti-racist professionals such as Dr. Allen Lipscomb and Dr. Kira Banks. The first anti-racist PSA centered on the character Garnet (Estelle) and found her explaining to a white child why it's important to acknowledge the truth of racism. While two more anti-racist PSAs will be released in the next few months, fans can also visit www.crystalgemsspeakup.com for links to social justice organizations and additional information.
Steven Universe ran for five seasons on Cartoon Network. Following the end of the series in January 2019, a television film titled Steven Universe: The Movie was released in September 2019. A limited series, Steven Universe Future, concluded in March 2020.
Source: YouTube