Since Kelly and I are doing our Female Creators countdown this month, I didn't have time to do spotlights on female-created comics like I normally like to do in March. Instead, though, I asked the nifty comic book writer Regine L. Sawyer to do some spotlights on fellow members of her Women In Comics NYC Collective. - BC

Juliana ‘Jewels’ Smith fell into comics….Literally. As an Educator and Community Activist, she used many creative methods when teaching and promoting literacy to her students. However, surprisingly, the most effective one was her use of comic books in the classroom; which inspired her to create and write her own series: “(H)afrocentric”.

‘(H)afrocentric stars a posse of disgruntled undergrads of color as they navigate their way through Ronald Reagan University’. Jewels created the series’ as a way to challenge students and readers alike about the presumptions around race, class, gender and sexuality through character dialogue.  Her practice focuses on the links between racial justice, gender equity, and political literacy; using creativity to facilitate dialogue’.

Jewels is highly creative when it comes to promoting and marketing (H)afrocentric. The series, which is already in the middle of production on issue 4, has its own Soundtrack that can be found on Soundcloud.Com. The books also have Shazam barcodes so the Soundtrack can be played on the go! All in All Jewels is an innovator in the comic book industry who is constantly seeking ways to enhance readers’ comic book experience; through both education and entertainment. To learn more about Jewels and (H)afrocentric, check out her website here: www.hafrocentric.com.