In the new investigative documentary Seeking Mavis Beacon , director Jazmin Jones and producer Olivia McKayla Ross offer a unique exploration of technology, representation and digital identity for Black millennials. For many, their first introduction to the keyboard was through Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing , the computer software featuring a beautiful, seemingly successful Black woman as the face and guide to correctly using the QWERTY typing system. As technology progressed, Mavis’ affirming voice and boxy blazer became a distant memory, replaced by Siri’s robotic voice and Alexa’s heartless engagement. “This character has had a big impact on our culture,” Jones told Blavity’s Shadow and Act in a recent interview. Photo by Natasha Campos/Getty Images for NEON Jones pointed out that Mavis Beacon was one of the first educational-based software programs that was anthropomorphized, meaning it had human characteristics or behaviors associated with it. She emphasized its success by...
