Piccolo Is Black: A Memoir of Race, Religion, and Pop Culture

While searching for his identity as a Black adolescent growing up in the 90’s, Jordan Calhoun rarely saw himself represented in television or movies—but he expertly picked up on Black-coded characters (like Piccolo from Gargoyles or Ursula from The Little Mermaid). By identifying with these cartoon characters—and falling in love with video games and music—he clung to nerd culture as a way to navigate big changes, like his family becoming Seventh Day Adventists, or transferring to an all-white school on the other side of Detroit. In this reflective memoir, Calhoun looks back on the anime, superheroes, and musicians who influenced his taste in pop culture, his view of the world, and his struggles as a young kid in an oppressive environment. You don’t need to know every single reference in this memoir in order to appreciate Jordan’s humor, honesty, and insight—you just need to remember your own favorite Saturday morning cartoon or the movie you watched over and over as a kid, and let his questions sink in.