habtoons:

Day 4 - Black History Month - Susie Carmichael

Debuting in the Rugrats episode “Meet The Carmichaels” (1992), Susie was the first (and only) Black Rugrat to join amongst the ranks of Tommy and the gang.

Susie is the complete antithesis of Angelica Pickles. As Angelica would lie and try to frighten the babies daily, Susie would do the opposite. She is very kind and honest with them, giving them facts about real world objects and events that would otherwise be used in Angelica’s devious arsenal of lies.

For her young age, Susie was quite intelligent and gifted. Skilled in ballet dancing, singing, and even being able to speak and understand French. Making her the envy and rival of Angelica.

In the spin-off series, “All Grown Up”, it is revealed that Susie now has become fluent in TEN different languages. Which is noted in the episode “Runaround Susie”. Her singing and dancing capabilities have increased substantially, upstaging (her “rival”) Angelica in this areas. It is also shown that Susie is an ace student, as well.

Though there aren’t many facts about her, Susie Carmichael’s character proves that Blacks in cartoons can go beyond the stereotypical archetype. She proves that we are capable of so much beyond what we’re typically portrayed as. She is a great character for young Black children to relate to.