EagleCon 2024 at Cal State LA encourages diversity in science fiction and fantasy, honors actor Dr. Dawnn Lewis with Octavia E. Butler Memorial Award

When actor Dr. Dawnn Lewis secured the role of the first Black female captain in the Star Trek canon, one of the first calls she made was to Nichelle Nichols.

As a child, Lewis had idolized Nichols and had drawn inspiration from her portrayal of Star Trek's communications officer Lt. Uhuru, one of the first and most visible Black characters in television and science fiction. She had to share her victory with her childhood hero, who would later become her friend and mentor.

Star Trek "broadened my horizon to what was possible," Lewis said. "Looking at Nichelle Nichols week after week-physically gorgeous, mentally superior as a communications officer, she could communicate with species and cultures from other galaxies. She could hold her own with anyone. She was a hero to me."

Lewis related the story as she accepted the Octavia E. Butler Memorial Award at EagleCon, the two-day event that celebrated science fiction and fantasy at Cal State LA's University-Student Union on Oct. 15 and 16.

One of EagleCon's goals, according to event organizer Patrick Sharp, is to celebrate diversity in the speculative genres to encourage Cal State LA's diverse student body into exploring careers in the entertainment industry.

"We want to continue to capitalize on the renewed interest, academically and popularly, on Chicano and Latino futurism, Afro futurism, indigenous futurism, queer and feminist speculative fiction, and help our students understand that those have always been a part of the genre. Maybe they're not the central part of the genre, but those creations have always been there," said Sharp, a professor with the Department of Liberal Studies in the College of Arts and Letters. "We want them to understand not only that history, but also how they can contribute their own stories to the industry."

"As we all know," he continued, "the entertainment industry likes to do the same thing over and over. It has a diversity problem, so we work with the Art Directors Guild to address that problem by providing networking opportunities and creating pipelines into the industry from Cal State LA."

Lewis wiped tears from her eyes as she read the inscription of "all that you touch, you change" from her Butler Award, which is given to a creative artist who exemplifies the spirit of Cal State alumna and renowned science fiction writer Butler.

Lewis is most recognizable for her roles in the sitcoms A Different World" (1987-92) and Hangin' with Mr. Cooper" (1992-93) and the film I'm Gonna Get You Sucka (1988). More recently, she has been an in-demand voice actor, starring in such shows as The Simpsons, Futurama, and Carmen Sandiego. She has voiced Captain Carol Freeman in the animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks since 2000.

The theme for this year's EagleCon was "Unfrakking the Future: Apocalypse and Alternatives" and it celebrated the 20th anniversary of Battlestar Galactica, the 25th anniversary of The Matrix, and the 40th anniversary of The Terminator.

In addition to Lewis, it also honored Harrison Ellenshaw with the Imaginator Award for achievement in visual conceptualization. The master matte painter and video effects designer's visuals have been featured in such films as Star Wars: A New Hope, The Black Hole, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Tron, and Escape from LA. Some of his most iconic creations will be displayed at the University Library's second-floor walkway through Dec. 1.

Unfortunately, EagleCon's main event was postponed when actor, director, and producer Edward James Olmos was unable to attend due to a family emergency. The Cal State LA alumnus, whose acting credits include the sci-fi classics Blade Runner and Battlestar Galactica, was to receive the Prism Award for his outstanding contributions to diversity in speculative genres across media. Organizers plan to reschedule the award ceremony later in the school year.

EagleCon was founded by the Cross Cultural Centers, and is supported by the University-Student Union, the College of Arts and Letters, and the Art Directors Guild, IATSE Local 800, which provides talent support and exhibitions. In its 11th year, EagleCon continued to evolve.

"You can still cosplay, have fun and all that, but students have responded more to the desire of meeting professionals who are going to be able to give them advice," said Sharp. "Some might want to be voice actors, some graphic designers who are asking, what do I need to do to get into the entertainment industry?"

The two-day event was packed with panels that featured TV and movie directors, screenwriters, showrunners, graphic artists and designers, illustrators, and more from the entertainment industry. They discussed their craft and dispersed advice to students.

"I'm proud we were able to bring in a variety of disciplines," said Sharp. "We wanted to make sure we were giving people a broad understanding of all the different careers that you can have in entertainment while also having fun talking about science fiction and horror."

The EagleCon audience was not limited to the Cal State LA community as invited students from neighboring high schools and junior colleges were also able to benefit from the discussion panels and artwork displays.

"It's been a great opportunity to showcase Cal State LA to students who might want to come here," Sharp said.

In addition to the Ellenshaw exhibition, the "Unfrakking the Future" showcase will be featured at the University Library First-Floor Gallery through Dec. 1. The exhibition by the Art Directors Guild, IATSE Local 800, presents a hopeful vision of the future featuring art from films like Transformers, Star Trek, The Matrix, Back to the Future, and more.

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