Dr. Mercedes Samudio

Currently in day two and feeling so affirmed in these panels!!

“It is time for parents to teach young people that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength.” ~Maya Angelou

Republicans are still trying to pass the SAVE Act—a bill that would make it harder to vote and disenfranchise millions of Americans. Join @redistrictingaction.org and tell your member of Congress to vote no: act.redistrictingaction.org/a/natl-saveact-cte

I love that #Brainspotting is being talked about more now!!

And I love being a Black Brainspotting therapist!!

A dark blue and gold graphic with art deco filigree reads as follows: A Dog Pawing at the Door GM Perry Clark ShauntelleB Shaucatcospla Ran Streaming 2/07 4PM on https://www.twitch.tv/nerdgasmnoire as part of Apochromatic Unlimited BHM 2026 Harlem Renaissance Forever Supporting the Lavender Rights Project Sponsored by Transplanar RPG and Frivolous Bear Studios

This Saturday at 4 PM EST

Southerners' migrant north to build a new life in Harlem. But news of deaths back home shatters everything. Grief follows them north, taking the form of a Black Dog spirit stalking the streets.

Why is it hunting them, and who will survive it?

NerdgasmNoire - Twitch A podcast discussing everything from tv shows and books to whether the Apple vs. Android fight will end in tasty cronuts. Here is where we play videogames and ttrpgs with friends. Come hang out!

Our cast includes:

@shauntelleb.bsky.social
@shaucatcosplay.bsky.social
@birdicinspiration.bsky.social
and @perryugc316.bsky.social as the GM!

This one is streaming on @nerdgasmnoire.bsky.social! Be sure to follow and subscribe to keep posted when the game goes live.

"Black youth are not the passive victims of history but are instead actively involved in it's making."

~S. Craig Watkins

Happy Birthday to the Daily Planet’s fearless leader, Wendell Pierce.

Photo: Jess Miglio

Viola Fletcher, Oldest Survivor of the Tulsa Race Massacre, Dies at 111

As a survivor of the Tulsa Race Massacre, Viola Ford Fletcher bravely shared her story so that we’d never forget this painful part of our history. Michelle and I are grateful for her lifelong work to advance civil rights, and send our love to her family.

What a 24-Hour Threads Experiment Taught Me About Links and Community Exploring how platform design and community interaction shape visibility for Black creators

Presenting findings from a 24-hour social media experiment conducted on Threads, exploring how link placement affects post visibility and engagement.

Read more: open.substack.com/pub/drmerced...

Do you want to get your comic book in front of more people?

We are looking to add more books to our upcoming indie bundles for our Kickstarter campaigns!

Am I A Writer or Nah? The age olf question from a scholar writer becoming a fiction writer.

Am I a writer or nah? I dissect this question, with not conclusive evidence that I am one...

...enjoy the stream of consciousness ride:
drmercedessamudio.substack.com/p/am-i-a-wri...

Hollywood’s Backslide Into White Male Directors Becomes Undeniable How to chase away our future, one complacent decision at a time

Hollywood’s Backslide Into White Male Directors Becomes Undeniable
theankler.com/p/hollywoods...

Spend $45+ on Witching Season to get an EXCLUSIVE Witches of Oz #1 Variant Cover by @michelacacciatore.bsky.social

#Hedda is an amazing film!

💯💯💯

WITCHING SEASON - A Witch Horror Comic Anthology is LIVE on Kickstarter!

"A 150+ page Horror Anthology filled with stories about WITCHES, WARLOCKS, and FAMILIARS from some of the biggest names in comics!"

www.kickstarter.com/projects/phi...

are you between 16-30 and looking to get a leg-up into #comics? Comics Youth are running a free upskilling programme for marginalised creatives (16-30) interested in a career in the Comics Industry- check out their website for details;

comicsyouth.co.uk/comics-decla...

Cute little weekend reminder that Witching Season is on kickstarter now.

Witching Season cover A by Skylar Patridge

WITCHING SEASON is live now on kickstarter!

A 150+ page horror comic anthology from me and Lifeline Comics. Excited for everyone to see what we've been building for most of this year🩸🌙

Cover A by @skyepatridge.bsky.social

More info here:
www.kickstarter.com/projects/phi...

Structural racism isn’t just about bias or hate; it’s about systems:

It’s “the totality of ways societies foster racial discrimination through mutually reinforcing systems of housing, education, employment, health care, and criminal justice” (Kisa & Kisa, 2025).

Structural racism as a fundamental cause of health inequities: a scoping review - International Journal for Equity in Health Background Structural racism is increasingly recognized as a fundamental cause of health inequities. It operates through laws, institutional policies, and systemic practices that disproportionately disadvantage racially and ethnically minoritized populations. Although the body of evidence on structural racism and health is expanding, much of it remains fragmented across disciplines and sectors. This scoping review synthesized peer-reviewed research by examining the pathways through which structural racism affects health, the most frequent outcomes, and the interventions and policies implemented to address these disparities. Methods The review adhered to frameworks by Arksey and O’Malley, Levac et al., and the Joanna Briggs Institute. Six databases (MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Scopus) were searched for English-language, peer-reviewed studies published before February 15, 2025, examining structural, systemic, or institutional racism in relation to health. Two reviewers independently screened and extracted data, and findings were analyzed using thematic synthesis. Results Eighty-three studies met the inclusion criteria, covering healthcare, housing, the criminal legal system, environmental exposures, and other intersecting sectors. Structural racism was consistently associated with adverse outcomes in maternal and infant health, cancer, cardiovascular disease, HIV care, mental health, and COVID-19. Key mechanisms included redlining, residential segregation, carceral practices, discriminatory clinical treatment, and environmental injustice. Intersectional burdens were most pronounced among Black, Indigenous, LGBQ, immigrant, and socioeconomically marginalized groups. Although some promising interventions were identified, including culturally tailored perinatal care, community health worker models, and equity-focused quality improvement, few had been rigorously evaluated or embedded in broader structural policy changes. Conclusion Structural racism was found to operate across institutional and societal systems to perpetuate health disparities. While targeted interventions show promise, significant gaps remain in the development and implementation of scalable, evidence-based reforms. To achieve health equity, public health strategies must prioritize cross-sectoral actions for confronting and dismantling the structural conditions that maintain racial injustice. This synthesis highlights the urgent need for scalable policy reforms and structural accountability measures across sectors.

Read the full study here:
equityhealthj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....

It’s the structure that keeps inequity running even when no one individual is “being racist.”

Naming it helps us target the system, not just the symptoms.

Structural racism isn’t just about bias or hate; it’s about systems:

It’s “the totality of ways societies foster racial discrimination through mutually reinforcing systems of housing, education, employment, health care, and criminal justice” (Kisa & Kisa, 2025).

September 2025: Eyes of Wakanda, Iyanu, KPop Demon Hunters, and more! YouTube video by DMV Comic Book Nerd

At the latest DMVCBN TV / Movie Club, @co_mixed, @drmercedessamudio.bsky.social, @bigboynerd.bsky.social and I talked about #KPopDemonHunters #Iyanu #EyesOfWakanda, and more! We also had a great discussion about #Afrofuturism in media.

Please like and subscribe!
youtu.be/pya6o56MMHs

A traditional portrait illustration of Batman. Drawn by Christine Brunson.

A traditional sketch of Jake as the Scarecrow on a blank variant for Adventure Time. Drawn by Christine Brunson.

Traditional sketches of Finn as Batman and Jake as the Scarecrow on connecting blank variants for Adventure Time. Left one drawn by Suburban Fuzz Designs and the right one drawn by Christine Brunson.

A traditional illustration of a Scarecrow from DC Comics. Drawn by Christine Brunson.

Batman Day at Soundwave Comics was a lot of fun! Good to hang out at the comic shop with friends and make some new ones. I was sketching some and drew Batman and Scarecrow. Then I had a sketchcover commission of Jake as the Scarecrow while Suburban Fuzz Designs drew the Finn as Batman!

#Art

a cartoon of batman standing on top of a building with a lightning bolt in the background . ALT: a cartoon of batman standing on top of a building with a lightning bolt in the background .

Happy Batman Day y’all!!

💖

🥹💖

So happy to have met you at @theuncannyexp.bsky.social this year!! 🥹💖🎉