It’s happening again.

Marvel releases a trailer for Ironheart—a show centered on a brilliant young Black girl who builds her own suit of armor—and suddenly, the internet erupts. Not with excitement, but with anger.

Not over the quality of the story. Not over the effects. But over the existence of a Black character in a lead role.

The same tired accusations flood in:
“Woke propaganda.”
“They’re ruining the original characters.”
“Why does everything have to be about race?”

But let’s be clear:
Woke is just what some people say when they’re uncomfortable seeing Black joy, brilliance, and creativity take up space.
“Too woke” is code for “too Black.”
Too visible. Too powerful. Too different from the default they’ve been told is “normal.”

Riri Williams, the genius behind Ironheart, is not new. She didn’t come out of nowhere. She’s been in the comics since 2016. But like so many characters of color, her rise to the screen is met with resistance—not because she’s badly written, but because her existence challenges the status quo.

At Fourth Pov, Inc., this is exactly why we do what we do.

Because when our children create characters that look like them—when they imagine stories where they’re the heroes, the scientists, the inventors, the center of the action—it shouldn’t be seen as a threat.
It should be celebrated.

Representation isn’t about replacing anyone.
It’s about making room for everyone.
And the fact that some people feel “replaced” when they see a Black girl in a superhero suit says more about them than it does about the story.

This backlash is why programs like ours exist.

We teach creative writing and storytelling because we know how powerful it is when a child sees themselves on the page—and then realizes they can write their own.
We show up with journals, workshops, and affirmations because we want youth in underserved communities to know:
Your story is valid. Your imagination is unstoppable. Your voice is not too much.

Let them call it “woke.”
We’ll call it necessary.

Because until every child can see themselves as the author of their own destiny, our work isn’t done.

So to the young girl watching the Ironheart trailer and feeling something spark inside her—this is for you.
Keep imagining.
Keep writing.
Keep building.

We see you. And we can’t wait to read what you create next.