It’s powerful when you see a character in TV or film who’s like you. It can make you feel seen, understood, and important. However, there are swaths of viewers — people of color in particular — who rarely (if ever) see themselves on screen. So when an interesting, resonant character does appear, it strikes one hell of a chord. This is the driving force behind Netflix’s #FirstTimeISawMe, a campaign that called on artists like Ava DuVernay to discuss the first time they encountered a character that reminded them of themselves. What started as a series of short videos morphed into a trending topic on Twitter.
People of color are tweeting their #FirstTimeISawMe stories, and members of the LGBTQ community, people living with disabilities, and many more have joined them.
“Jane the Virgin” star Gina Rodriguez participated by giving a shout out to America Ferrara’s turn in Patricia Cardoso’s coming-of-age drama “Real Women Have Curves.” It goes to show how powerful representation can be: Ferrera helped Rodriguez feel “present and heard” and Rodriguez is doing the same for plenty of Latina women.
The #FirstTimeISawMe was @AmericaFerrera in Real Women have Curves and I fell absolutely in love with her. I felt present and heard. ❤️❤️❤️
Other tweets, like the one below, emphasize that a character does not always have to be the same racial demographic in order to resonate with the viewer. Pocahontas’ “independent and strong-willed nature” made just as much of an impression as her skin and hair.
@_TheOtherBox #FirstTimeISawMe in Pocahontas - different ethnicity but same skin and hair and her independent and strong-willed nature called out to me 💙 https://t.co/7OUwPwtRQP
And then there are characters like Jennifer Lopez’ Selena Quintanilla-Perez in “Selena” and Lisa Bonet’s Denise in “The Cosby Show.” Not only did they inspire young girls of color, they presented before-unseen versions of what it meant to be Latina or black. The user below relates to Selena because she is a bold persona who demands to be heard — and isn’t embarrassed that she speaks little Spanish.
FirstTimeISawMe Selena. She loved performing, eating food, and fashion. Didn't speak much Spanish. Always stood up for herself. 💖✨ https://t.co/e91zHvvN1I
In addition to being a visible, light-skinned black woman, Bonet’s Denise is beloved for her personality, warmth, and fashion choices.
FirstTimeISawMe Fam. Lisa is mixed. Denise had the best wardrobe on the show. She was the kindest. She laughed a ton.
Quite a few tweets were about the first time someone from the LGBTQ community saw a gay or queer-identifying character.
When I was 13 in 2004. The first lesbian character on #Neighbours - Lana Crawford. #FirstTimeISawMe #BridgetNeval
Of course, the hashtag has also highlighted how far we have to go in terms of representation. Several tweets emphasized that there are barely any characters living with disabilities on screen. And there are many mentions about the lack of “Other Box” characters — people who are non-white but are of a mixed heritage and do not identify as solely black or Latin American or Asian.
For more personal stories about the need and desire for inclusive representation in film and television, follow #FirstTimeISawMe on Twitter.
