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About The Shade Squad
MJ Harris felt a super hero group comprised of African American, black and brown women was necessary for little brown girls and women alike to be able to identify themselves as the powerful beings they are.
As a young girl watching her daily dose of cartoons and television shows, there were no characters who looked like her saving the day, or being almighty and powerful.
Fast forward to becoming a woman, there were still no characters in cartoons or television that were comprised of a super hero group of brown and black women.
So, she decided to create them. She wanted there to be a woman of every complexion. African American black and brown women are very diverse, and her goal was to ensure that this time, every black and brown woman was included.
The Shade Squad was created to represent the uniqueness of brown and black women and their power to persevere while helping others.
A defining moment during the creating of the Shade Squad was when a friends' learning disabled step-daughter was asked, "which one are you"? The step-daughter, without hesitation chose the character that she resembled. Although classified at a disadvantage, she was still able to see herself as being a powerful super hero.
At that moment, it was confirmed that MJ's purpose was to bring these powerful women to every household via books, cartoons, merchandise etc. So that every African American, black and brown woman could see themselves as the #reallifesuperheroes they have always been.