Nerdy African-Americans have a place to play
EXPECT blerd lines this weekend.
The very first Blerd City Con hits Dumbo on Saturday and Sunday, and at least 500 fans are expected to gather for an appreciation of all things geeky with an African-American bent — including cinema, comic books, martial arts and sci-fi.
The term “blerd” is be- lieved to have been coined on the NBC sitcom “Scrubs” and is a combination of “black” and “nerd.”
The event’s founder, Clairesa Clay, says that when she first heard the word, she thought it perfectly described herself. Clay lives in Clinton Hill and works as a teacher, but grew up loving “Star Trek,” playing chess and watching martial-arts movies.
“‘Blerd’ means being a black person and a nerd, which speaks to my intelligent side,” she says.
Blerd City Con is packed with screenings, events and panels. Highlights include a reading of “Avengers” director Joss Whedon’s unproduced 2006 “Wonder Woman” script, a discussion of Marvel’s African superhero Black Panther and a panel entitled “Enter the Last Dragon: Black Folks & Martial Arts.”
Visitors can also get in- volved in workshops, view short films and listen to experts discuss “Blerddating.”
The convention targets a group that was once marginalized.
“I wanted to create a safe space for you to do what you love to do,” Clay says. “If I talk about Neil Gaiman’s ‘Sandman,’ you won’t freak out.”
With the mainstreaming of comic-con culture, the prominence of blerds (and nerds in general) has been growing.
“When I tell [AfricanAmericans] about the convention, they’ll go, ‘Oh, thank you! This is me,’ and they’ll have a beautiful smile,” Clay says. “It’s nice to know people have embraced their blerdiness.”
Single-day passes $28, two-day passes $45. Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. The Dumbo Spot, 160 Water St., Brooklyn, and other nearby venues; BlerdCityConference.com