I know it’s been a long time since I made a post on here. I’ve been gone so long, there’s dust all over my website. A lot has been going on and I’ll make sure to fill you guys in on all the juicy deets later, but today I wanted to talk about a much more serious topic.
If you turn on the news or go onto social media, you’ll see that our country is not doing so great. As my friend describes it, it’s a complete dumpster fire. America is torn with the unrest of racism and social injustice that plagues our borders. It is causing distress and prompting many citizens to take a second look to determine if our country is as “great” as we once thought.
As many of you know, I created this blog to talk about different topics through the lens of a gaming and religious perspective. I never thought I would talk about the issue of racism, but after reflecting on recent events with the death of George Flyod and realizing the realities of social injustice and white privilege in this country, I believe now is the time to open up the discussion. So, here we go.
With the recent protests happening across the world for true racial equality, many hard questions have been asked. Such as, what is systemic racism/white privilege? How do we understand these racial issues if we do not feel it? How long have I been in the dark or been silent on these recurring problems? And probably the biggest question of all is, what can we do about it?
Which is a valid question. How does one combat systemic racism or even understand it, especially as a white person who is either blind to the racial injustices that occur in our country everyday or has trouble grasping the impact and fear that comes with racism?
Because let’s be honest, white people haven’t had a long history of being persecuted due to the color of their skin. In fact, history has proven time and time again that it’s white people who find themselves on the other side of racist persecution and discrimination towards people of color.
So, how does this group of people even begin to comprehend and fight for change on this? Well from what I’ve been able to gather in these last few weeks of reflection and research is that the most practical and advantageous first step to combating racism is through educating ourselves on the issues.
Before we can truly take a stand against racial injustices through rapid protests and political change we have to educate ourselves in what that all entails. We have to talk to our black loved ones, we have to research our history to see how far back this systemic racism goes, and we have to work on understanding and being empathic with those who were born different than the status quo my having an open mind and processing information as it comes to us instead of reacting on impulse.
We do that through conversation, informative movies and documentaries, and we can even do this by experiencing stories of mediums such as comics and games (see that blog tie-in I just did there!).
I know what you're thinking, what do the fictional worlds of comics and games and all the nerdy stuff in between have to do with the reality of racism today? Well, a lot more than you would realize.
Nerd culture does a phenomenal job on shining a light on real issues through engaging stories and surreal world building, such as inequality, prejudice, and evil that we would see in the real world that is both reliable and informative.
The X-Men
Take the X-Men, for example. The X-Men are the spitting image of what racism and inequality looks like. A group of people who are found out to be different from the rest of the world, are subjugated to prejudice and segregation. What should be an extraordinary discovery, realizing there are people different from us with unbelievable power and potential, is, instead, met with fear, disgust, and to some people an opportunity for evil sought self-gain.
These people who had no choice whatsoever in how they were born and just want to be like everybody else, grow up in a world that is inevitably against them just because they’re different. Sound familiar?
The whole concept of the X-Men mirrors the real life race relations seen throughout history and even in today’s times. The X-Men are a popular franchise not just because there’s a guy with badass claws running around or a woman who controls the elements of the weather. Don’t get me wrong they are awesome and definitely help hook me into the franchise.
But, the X-Men are also engaging because of the overarching theme that follows these unique individuals has been experienced first hand in one form or another by people of color and those who are set apart from the status quo from hundreds of thousands of people in the world.
It’s personally taught me about the unfairness of prejudice and how wonderful people who are different can really be. These characters are relatable because everyone has been treated differently before and it really helps people know first hand the effects prejudice can have on a group of people.
Luke Cage
Another comic example is Luke Cage. If you watched the netflix series, it’s a very powerful show that demonstrates the fighting spirit of the African American people in a city that’s constantly against them.
The series follows, you guessed it, Luke Cage, an extraordinary man with extraordinary powers who is trying to make an honest living while also trying to keep on the down low. Cage has seen first hand how corrupt the system is as he is wrongfully accused of killing his wife and sent to jail for a good part of his life.
And while he was able to gain unbreakable skin and super strength during his incarceration, he chooses to play the facade of an ordinary black man knowing that if word got out he’d only be viewed as a menace and a threat.
However, Luke Cage is presented with a choice after the death of Pops, a mentor and father figure to Luke Cage and so many other people in Harlem who was unrighteously killed in a drive-by. Luke Cage has to decide if he is going to stand up to the evils that terrorize Harlem or continue to stay in the shadows and allow more injustice to thrive in the streets, despite how the odds are against him.
It’s a very powerful and engaging series because this one man decides to say no more and clean up the streets of Harlem. He becomes a guardian to the people of Harlem. He becomes the bulletproof shield to a people who aren’t bulletproof and that right there is some strong racial and empowering imagery.
You can also see the other side of the theme of race in this series. While Luke Cage has unbreakable skin that doesn’t mean the stereotypes and stigmas that come from race don’t get under his skin.
Luke Cage is a strong black man and for some people who see him, they think he could be a threat. Add unbreakable skin and super strength to the mix and he is considered a danger.
But, Luke Cage isn’t that, of course. At the end of the day, he’s just a black man trying to live his life and do good by others. However, throughout the course of this show Cage struggles with this because no matter how much good he tries to do he is seen as a dangerous black man first and a hero second, if it ever gets that far.
This show was a huge success because it emulates the raw feelings and motives behind movements like Black Lives Matter. It draws you into the perspective of what it’s like to be a black man with the odds against him just because of his race and who he appears to be rather than what he is and could be.
It shows how many black men, women, and children struggle to be out in the spotlight in fear of how people will respond or view them. It reflects the real thoughts, emotions, and fears experienced by so many in the black community today and as a white person that’s a rare discovery as many white people are in the dark about these kinds of things.
Skyrim
Race relations can even be seen in videogames. One last example I'll give is from Skyrim.
Elders Scrolls 5 is a large expansive world full of rich cultures and dynamic characters. All these characters that you meet all have different attitudes, personalities, and beliefs that really bring the land of Skyrim to life.
Some are kind, caring people and others are mean spirited and even racist individuals who treat other races found throughout the world differently. Some of these racists are low key letting out a snide remark about Elves while sipping mead, but others are true premium grade racists who go out of their way to let people know what they think.
One of the most racially divided areas that you visit during this game is a place far to the North called Windhelm. Many people in Windhelm don’t like Dark Elves and treat them like crap. They barely tolerate them, forcing them to live in the slums away from the rest of society (where have we seen that before?) They also don’t allow Argonians, a reptile-like race in Skyrim, in their city at all.
If you talk to some of the Dark Elf citizens of this town you’ll get a variety of responses in relation to the race divide in Windhelm. Some are righteously angry, while others just try to keep their head down and not cause trouble.
The nord citizens themselves keep their distance away from that side of town giving off snide remarks here and there. However, there is one nord villager in Windhelm who is a bonafide racist towards the Dark Elf and Argonian races.
He’s not afraid to let people hear his opinions on those filthy Dark Elves and how they are ruining their town with their presence. This particular villager even goes around the slums in the late of night shouting at how worthless and troublesome the Dark Elves are.
While these are all just NPC’s who aren’t real in any way, they exhibit the real thoughts and emotions of people who face and promote racial discrimination everyday. If you pay attention to the responses the Dark Elves have about their living situations you’ll realize it’s reminiscent of how a lot minorities feel about racial inequality that goes on in this country. Even the nord racist is based on the real thoughts and beliefs of truly awful racists, similar to those of the KKK, that help instigate the same racial divide that has existed in America for so long.
When you talk to these NPC characters and see how they act towards this racial divide it’s like you’re getting a front row seat to the kind of discrimination that many people have to go through on a daily basis. We learn about racism on the news or second hand, but not many of us see racism first hand, and therefore can’t truly understand the thoughts and feelings of those who are discriminated against.
However, through the lens of this game, Skyrim offers a simulated portrayal as to what that really looks like. The fact that I can move around and see this racial divide with my own eyes through a first-person POV is much more meaningful since I’m not just hearing about it second hand, I’m actually seeing it play out right in front of me.
I know when I play this game and come to this town I get filled with anger and disbelief that these people, the persecuted Dark Elves and the racist Nords, live in a society like this, despite the fact that I know not of this is actually real. And yet, it’s incredibly real because isn’t that how a lot of the world works?
These are just a few examples, but you can see these issues of race and persecution in plenty of nerdy fictional worlds and characters, such as Star Wars, Wolfenstein, Marvel/DC comics and movies, and Dragon Age, just to name a few.
So, if you’re like me, and are looking to educate yourself on the complexities and injustice of race relations in our country, read up on our history and have those conversations with your black brothers and sisters, but also take another look into your favorite nerdy worlds.
I believe games have a ton of potential to educate and grow us as individuals, which includes maturing our thoughts and opinions on topics like race and inequality. So, when you fire up your favorite open world game or decide to read another X-Men comic, really pay attention to the themes in these worlds. When you see discrimination and injustice, ask yourself why are these people being viewed this way? Is it because of their race and, if so, is it right for them to be judged and thrown away by society just by how they look?
Then take the conversation out of the game, comic, or movie and into the real world. Use your favorite fantasy worlds to spark meaningful conversations about race and equality because you might be surprised by what you learn.
Why not start that discussion now? Comment below on what you think and let's get into it!
Dean Willms
Gamer. Designer. Friend
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