With “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” just a month away, nothing can ruin the excitement from every Star Wars fan.
Except unrepentant racism it seems.
Amidst the excitement, there were complaints that Star Wars wasn’t white enough. White enough.
This even spawned the hashtag #BoycottStarWars, because it was promoting “white genocide,” according to CNN.
In a universe of blue aliens and walking carpets, some fans complained that John Boyega was not the right actor for the movie, which basically translates to, “why isn’t there a white protagonist?”
It’s sickening to see this kind of racism in a wonderful franchise of adventure and fantasy.
It was like finding out Walt Disney was an anti-semite.
This line of thought is archaic and ignorant and it is one that has to stop.
The inclusion of John Boyega and and an overall more diverse cast is just what Hollywood needs.
Not every Star Wars fan is your average white little boy or girl, and it’s important for different people of color to get representation in mainstream media.
This is especially true when it comes to big, mainstream franchises like Star Wars or Star Trek.
Children of color should be able to watch these movies and one day think, “I can be among the stars one day.”
These are the kinds of movies that inspires the next generation of explorers, scientists, writers and overall dreamers.
One of the biggest deterrents to equal representation is the belief that a white character is a “one-size-fits-all,” in terms of representation.
Each culture goes through different struggles, grow up in different situations and don’t always have similar triumphs or trials.
That is why representation is so important.
We have to show in our mass media that people of color can be in important positions of power or influence, be it a book or movie about aliens and evil empires or simply a love story in contemporary times.