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No ‘Small’ Cons

There are no ‘small cons’, only small minds.

Wherever two or more Blerds gather, something sacred is birthed. For so long, Black folks who were enthralled by the greater popular culture were isolated and ridiculed for their interests. But fam, it’s 2025, and we no longer have to live like that! There are whole conventions designed with Blerds in mind. One of the most prominent in the country, BlerDCon! The theme for 2025 was “Thrilla” and it was a blast. I was just there this past weekend, and it was a needed breath of fresh air.

Intersectionality is the name of the game at BlerDCon. For those that don’t know, intersectionality (coined by Kimberlee Crenshaw) is a method for identifying the layers of oppression you face based on the layers of your identity. It implies that if you are Black, you are also a bunch of other things as well. BlerDCon designs its programming to engage as many intersections as it can. That level of intentional inclusion is not commonplace, much less in nerdy spaces. Mind you, no organized event is perfect and there are some blindspots at BlerDCon too – but dammit, the uplifting and positive atmosphere of the event makes those moments easy to forget. Before this goes full think piece, let’s dive into the experience!

Blerdy Atmosphere

Until you have walked into a room with fifty plus other Blerds in cosplay to witness an Anime-themed rap battle, you have not lived on the Black side of nerd culture. Watching a competitor spit bars about [checks notes] getting someone ‘laid out like Snorlax on Route 12’ and seeing people in the audience make the nasty face in response was a thing of beauty. Until you have had to stop short walking the convention floor because a group of women in Akatsuki cosplay just had to put hands on knees and throw it in a circle for a song playing, you have not lived on the Black side of nerd culture. This is the atmosphere of BlerDCon: a spontaneous and celebratory Blackness that feels like what we imagine freedom to be.

A Bit of Me

Along with the pop-up brilliance of Black nerdom is the planned communal experiences provided by the con. Programming says a lot about a convention. So when I opened the app to plan out what my weekend was going to look like, I was struck with paralysis. There was just too much I was interested in going to. I’m looking at a calendar that reflects so many aspects of my identity that I can’t choose where to go!

Yes, I want to hang out with the horror homies and celebrate the life of Tony Todd. And I want to jam out to anime remixes in an open plaza with one-hundred consoles plugged in. Maybe I’m just as interested in redesigning my resume for a job in the nerd media sector as I am exploring the boundaries of consent and kink. No matter where I looked, I saw myself, and that is a rare thing to experience as a Black nerd. BlerDCon expresses as much of the full spectrum of blerdom as can be.

Mind Your Black Business(es)

Where else can you buy an honest to Bast satin lined Dragonball Durag with a drawstring for different hair styles? Vendor and artist tables lined up and decked out with the coolest pieces imaginable. To be clear, the aesthetic is very, ‘but make it Black’ and it feels so good. There was a twenty-minute stretch where I kept pacing back and forth past a large tapestry featuring Huey, Riley, and Jasmine from The Boondocks as characters from Attack on Titan with Uncle Ruckus as the Colossal Titan. I was searching desperately for a reason to buy it. I don’t often have that feeling, where I look to spend money. It felt so good to speak to and vibe with artisans while giving them money for their very cool merchandise. I overpaid on purpose and most vendors gave me more than I paid for. For no reason other than that we wanted to. Peak positivity all around.

The Only AI I Trust

A highlight for the whole con was the addition of Janelle Monae to the programming. She didn’t send somebody in her place, she really popped out! In fully self-referential cosplay as The ArchAndroid. Which, we found out live at a panel (moderated by Sailor Victoria!) just for BlerDCon, is also the name of her upcoming graphic novel! It continues the story from the Metropolis and ArchAndroid albums following messianic android Cindi Mayweather on a journey to save the world from itself.

When I tell you Ms. Monae came through in a head-to-toe latex get up complete with a matching up-do, heels, and dope shades – I mean it! Not only was the look epic but her authenticity in coming out as a Black nerd aligned perfectly with the event. Janelle showed up to the con for the first time and said it already felt like home. Can’t ask for a better vibe than that.

We Was Outside!!!!

All in all, BlerDCon 2025 was amazing, authentic, and intersectional in a way that is hard to replicate. Just know there was more cosplay than the eye could ever behold. I don’t even have the space in this article to talk about it, but please check out BlerDCon’s Instagram and show some love! Bless the organizers of this event, truly. Shortcomings and miscommunications are inevitable with any event. But even with those prebaked into any convention, BlerDCon brings a down-home feeling that supersedes those less-than-perfect moments. Next year’s BlerDCon is titled “GEEK-NIK!” and will run from March 6th through March 8th, 2026.

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The post BlerDCon 2025 Recap: Black On Black Blerdery appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.