Advocate for equitable gaming.

Earlier this month, the state of California sued Activision Blizzard after a two-year investigation confirmed the organization had maintained a toxic workplace environment that’s hostile to women (Polygon). The company, which has created blockbuster games like World of Warcraft, Diablo, and Call of Duty, initially denied allegations, causing tensions to flare with consumers and employees alike. Hundreds of employees walked out to protest the company’s response (The Verge). The details of this particular lawsuit are incendiary but certainly not unique. There’s been a persistent lack of representation and inclusivity in the video game industry since its inception which has influenced how the gaming industry has treated marginalized employees and consumers.

TAKE ACTION

Support the work of Games for Change, a nonprofit that empowers game creators and social innovators to drive real-world impact through games and immersive media.
Explore a list of accessible games for kids that portray diverse characters and stories.
Learn more about the accessibility of video games on the site Can I Play That?

GET EDUCATED

By Nicole Cardoza (she/her)

Toxic workplaces contribute to the lack of representation in video games, both on and off the screen. Approximately 24% of the workforce in the video gaming industry is female (Forbes). 7% of game developers identify as Latinx, and only 2% as Black or African-American (Venture Beat). These racial disparities reflect broader inequities found across the tech industry and similarly affect the diversity reflected in the product (Fortune). It’s not just racial and gender disparities, however. People with disabilities are also woefully underrepresented in the workforce. This is particularly damaging, considering that 92% of people with impairments play video games, and there are more than 33 million gamers with disabilities in the U.S. alone (Venture Beat).

When considering gameplay, 79.2% of lead characters in games are male, over half are white, and just 8.3% of main characters in games are females of non-white ethnicities (Newsweek). Many games portray negative and outdated stereotypes of Middle Eastern people, often reducing characters to mean terrorists and blatantly appropriating language and culture (Axios). Another study notes that Black male characters are virtually always violent, which influences conscious and unconscious bias. One study indicated that players were more likely to correlate Black faces with negative words after playing a violent video game as a Black character than after playing a violent video game as a white character (TechCrunch). Often, efforts towards diversity are prompted by external calls for accountability, like adding darker-skinned representation in the Sims 4 or textured hairstyles to Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Allure).

These allegations need to be addressed, especially as the gaming industry continues to grow. The U.S. video game industry grew 20% over the past year due to the pandemic and is expected to reach $30B in annual revenue by the end of the year (IGC). And video game consumption over-indexes with Black and Latinx youth; in a few years, they’re expected to be the predominant audience (TechCrunch). This audience is also at least 40% women, which shatters old stereotypes of the outdated notion of who “the gamer” is (Forbes). This diverse group of consumers deserve accessibility and to see themselves accurately represented.

Moreover, video games are increasingly creating and cultivating culture. The latest version of Animal Crossing, released last spring on Nintendo Switch, became the virtual destination for weddings, protests, and political campaigning (The Verge). Ariana Grande just went on tour virtually on the game Fortnite (The Verge). And just last week, Netflix announced that they plan to add video games to their streaming content within the next year (Bloomberg). Video games aren’t just a part of culture, they’re defining it as well – and will influence our collective perceptions of race, gender, class, and disabilities.

As consumers, we can’t necessarily change major video game hardware and software from the inside out. But the rise of direct-to-consumer goods and the creator economy does give us an opportunity to support diverse gamers. First, spend more time researching the developers behind the games that you might play right now, and you may be surprised about what you learn. Then, you can search for games created by indie, or independent, game developers on platforms like itch.io. And don’t be shy to advocate for representation within the games that you play! Sometimes, that simple action can make a world of difference.

Key Takeaways

43% of white Americans say that they are “very confident” in their tap water, while only 24% of Black Americans and 19% of Hispanic Americans indicate the same degree of confidence.
Corporations are often allowed to bottle and resell municipal tap water at a high mark-up, skirting rules and regulations that disproportionately affect lower-income communities.
We need to mobilize around protecting the source of clean water, and center Indigenous communities who steward the land and waters.

Nicole Cardoza 2/25/21 Nicole Cardoza 2/25/21

Reject racial fetishization.

Of all the hospice patients in the United States, only 14% of enrollees are people of color (The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine). While communities of color and low-income communities face the brunt of COVID-19, they also face a myriad of hurdles when navigating and accessing end-of-life care. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people of color are up to 2.8 times more likely to die from the virus, underscoring the importance of end-of-life and hospice care for this population (CDC).

Happy Thursday and welcome back to the Anti-Racism Daily. Today, Sayaka outlines how racial fetishization often increases violence against people of color, particularly those in the LGBTQ+ community.

This newsletter is a free resource and that's made possible by our paying subscribers. Consider giving $7/month on Patreon. Or you can give one-time on our website, PayPal, or Venmo (@nicoleacardoza). You can also support us by joining our curated digital community. Thank you to all those that support!

Nicole

TAKE ACTION

Work to bring awareness to the sexual violence perpetrated against people of color, particularly trans women of color by supporting the Trans Agenda for Liberation.
Express your support for the Survivors’ Access to Supportive Care Act, which will increase access to forensic nurses who provide comprehensive care to victims of sexual assault, by sending an email to your representatives. The act also increases support for tribal communities. RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network) has a good template here to do so.
Reflect on your own current and past relationships and ask yourself why you are attracted to a person. Do misconceptions about race or ethnicity play a role?

GET EDUCATED

By Sayaka Matsuoka (she/her)

For as long as white supremacy has existed in the world, so too has the exotification and fetishization of people of color, particularly those who identify as women and femmes. Racial fetishization is the seeking out of a person or culture belonging to a specific race or ethnic group for sexual gratification. While some individuals may explain their attraction as a personal preference, historical research and context shows that choosing sexual partners specifically based on their race is problematic and rooted in white supremacy (Wear Your Voice Mag).

The fetishization and exotification of women of color dehumanizes the individuals that are targeted and denigrates them to objects that exist solely to fulfill the male gaze and appetite. It’s about taking a fully fledged, well rounded human and limiting them to one aspect of their being that they don't even have control over says Kevin Patterson, a polyamory activist and author. (Willamette Week).

In the United States, racial fetishization dates back to a time before the slave trade. White women often were seen as pure, innocent entities to be protected, while Black women were depicted as lustful and sinful (Thirteen). After migrating to African countries, white settlers objectified Black women and saw them as sexually promiscuous beings because of their attire or physical features (Jim Crow Museum). White owners often raped Black enslaved females referring to the women as their hypersexual property (Earlham Historical Journal).

During the early 1800s, women of color were displayed in carnival freak shows to showcase their “exotic” features. One such example was Sarah Bartmaan, a South African Khoikhoi woman who was exhibited while scantily clad. Wealthy white people were given the opportunity to prod and touch her if they paid extra (BBC). The mistreatment of Black women continued long after slavery was abolished. These days, the ramifications of this type of behavior can be seen in the criticism of Black female artists like Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, and Megan Thee Stallion who own their sexuality and use it in their work.

“We never address how cisheterosexual men’s sexuality facilitates some unhealthy practices that we’ve normalized and accepted,” writes Melissa Brown (Blackfeminisms.com). “Negative reactions to Cardi B result from how, historically, strippers were the objects rather than the subjects of the songs written from the vantage point of a male rapper’s voyeuristic and pornagraphic gaze.”

Racist fetishization permeates other aspects of society and extends across all women of color. Indigenous women are depicted as sexual beings to conquer. Statistics show that they are most likely to be sexually assaulted (End Rape on Campus). Latina women have also historically been hypersexualized in American media, which often makes heavy use of the actress’ accent—real or forced—to create a sense of the exotic.

“If I played a Latina, I always had to be too sexy and too easy. I hated that," explained actress Rita Morena (Latina.com).

A study found that of the hundred top-grossing films of 2016, only 3% of roles were occupied by Latinx people—and of that, one-fourth of the women cast either appeared nude or in sexy attire (USC Annenberg).

Like Black and Latina women, Asian women are hypersexualized as well, but in a different way. Historically, the media often portray East Asian women as being submissive and childlike. Examples can be seen in the novel and movie Memoirs of a Geisha and the Broadway show Madame Butterfly. Lately, the stereotype is further perpetuated by members of the alt-right who see East Asian women as the perfect partners because of their perceived submissiveness (NY Times). The idea stems from other harmful stereotypes about Asians like the model minority myth which pits Asians against Black and Brown individuals. Read our past article about the Model Minority Myth.

“Asian women are seen as naturally inclined to serve men sexually and are also thought of as slim, light-skinned and small, in adherence to Western norms of femininity,” Audrea Lim says in her article, “The Alt-Right’s Asian Fetish.”.

Such ideas follow in the footsteps of nineteenth century European male fixations on geishas and China dolls. The subjugation of East Asian women continued well into the twentieth century when American GIs visited countries like Japan, Korea and Vietnam where the local women and sex workers often were raped (Institute for Policy Studies).

The issues of fetishization are even more complicated for members of the LGBTQ+ community, particularly transgender individuals because it is directly correlated with a person’s curiosity of the other. The hypersexualization of trans people of color is compounded by the fact that they are part of another marginalized community. This can lead cisgender individuals who are curious about transgender bodies to objectify and perpetuate violence against them. A 2015 national survey of transgender people in the United States found that 47% of them are sexually assaulted at some point in their lifetime. Of those who were people of color responded with higher rates of assault (National Center for Transgender Equality).

Because the fetishization and exotification of women of color, including transgender women, is a dehumanizing mechanism that often leads to violence and acts of sexual assault, it is up to us all to fight these stereotypes when we see them. It is important to remind each other that women of color are not for consumption. They deserve respect on all levels, from the mind and soul to the body.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The fetishization of people of color has existed in the United States for centuries and works to dehumanize individuals as objects for consumption by others.
Fetishization can harm individuals and lead to sexual violence.
Members of the LGBTQ+ community, particularly trans individuals, face higher rates of sexual violence and can also face additional layers of fetishization.

RELATED ISSUES

8/21/2020 | Let Black girls be girls.

11/24/2020 | Stop violence against Native women.

9/25/2020 | Decriminalize sex work.

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Nicole Cardoza 9/11/20 Nicole Cardoza 9/11/20

Protect Black women.

Wow, it has been a rough time. Between the shooting of Jacob Blake, the release of footage of the murder of Daniel Prude, the murder of Naytasia Williams in Indianapolis (follow #JusticeForTaysia on Twitter), and the death of real-life Black superhero Chadwick Boseman, I am deeply tired. Even over the few days it took to write this, I read more reports of Black women dying from both interpersonal and state violence. Even if I have battle fatigue, I know I will replenish my cup and keep on fighting. I encourage you to take care of yourself and fight for Black women, too.

– Malana

ps – thank you all for your contributions. To support our work, you can give one-time on our website, PayPal or Venmo (@nicoleacardoza), or subscribe for $5/mo on our Patreon.

TAKE ACTION

Believe Black women when they say they have been harmed.
Use the term “lynching” with respect to its historical context of state-sponsored racial and sexual terror, not as a metaphor for public ridicule.
Contact your U.S. Senators to push the Emmett Till Anti-lynching Act forward.
Support organizations like Survived and Punished, Black Women’s Blueprint, and SisterSong.

GET EDUCATED

By Malana Krongelb

Note: Because this article discusses lynching as well as violence against Black women, please be aware that the content may be triggering, and links may contain disturbing images. Read with care.

On July 12, rapper Tory Lanez shot fellow rapper Megan Thee Stallion in the foot when she was exiting a vehicle (Billboard). Many people did not believe Megan was actually shot, leading her to post a picture of her gunshot wound on social media. Many people made jokes at Megan’s expense or even argued in favor of Tory, saying he experiences greater racial oppression and is being “lynched” in the court of public opinion. She didn’t name Lanez as her assailant until over a month later, choosing to protect him because of a fear they would both be attacked by police. With that in mind, I want to talk about a subject that gets glossed over way too frequently: lynching's effect on Black women.

Black women have always been at the forefront of fighting lynching, with women like Ida B. Wells (YouTube) and Mamie Till Mobley (Emmett Till’s mother) leading the charge (PBS). Despite the deep personal pain it caused, Till Mobley's insistence on an open casket so that “the world [could] see what they did to my baby” galvanized the Civil Rights Movement. While these women do not nearly get the praise they deserve, even less talked about are the female victims of lynching (The Conversation).

Take, for example, Laura Nelson, a Black Oklahoman gang-raped and lynched alongside her son (STMU History Media). A postcard of her hanging body was a widely distributed souvenir and served as the only surviving photo of a Black woman lynching victim. Whether in the form of lynching mementos or jokes at Megan Thee Stallion’s expense, the grotesque enjoyment people derive from Black women’s pain is nothing new. It is misogynoir, or the specific hatred of Black women where both gender and race play a critical role (Moyazb).

Even though lynching is a white supremacist act, Black women are not safe from its effects even when dealing with other Black people. The assumption that lynching only affects men has been weaponized against Black women who speak out against sexual violence. Clarence Thomas called the Anita Hill hearings a "high tech lynching (Washington Post)" R. Kelly called #MuteRKelly a lynching too (The Undefeated, RollingStone). By invoking lynching—and white women’s false claims of rape that often accompanied them—these predatory Black men distort the history of lynching to maintain patriarchal control over Black women. When less than 1 in 15 Black female victims of rape report (often citing wanting to protect Black men from police as a motivating factor in remaining silent), the misuse of the term lynching has real consequences (Ujima Community).

As Black feminist scholar Hazel Carby has stated, "The institutionalized rape of black women has never been as powerful a symbol of black oppression as the spectacle of lynching. Rape has always involved patriarchal notions of women, outwardly inviting a sexual attack” (See “Rape and the Inner Lives of Black Women”).

A sexually confident Megan Thee Stallion is viewed as being “too fast” and “too loose,” allegedly inciting the violence perpetrated against her. This dynamic persists even after death: George Floyd's name is synonymous with the Black Lives Matter protests. In contrast, sexual assault and murder victim Toyin Salau's name has been lifted up almost exclusively by other Black women. Intersectionality, a topic we discussed in a previous newsletter, is important to remember as we watch these discrepancies unfold. Learn more about it in Kimberle Crenshaw’s TED Talk.

In trying to write about the recent death of Naytasia Williams, a Black and Asian woman, rapper, and exotic dancer murdered at the end of August struggled to even find her last name. Her murder has all the hallmarks of lynching’s legacy: a hypersexualized Black woman, murdered in cold blood by a security guard, whose pain was sickly enjoyed by a group of police refused to call paramedics as she died. While we cannot bring her back, we can support her family (GoFundMe), fight against the erasure of her life and story, and fight for Black women now and always.

key takeaways

Lynching isn’t a term that specifically applies to men. Black women have been and continue to be victims of racialized violence
Misogynoir is the term to describe the unique discrimination that Black women experience.
The sexual and physical violence against Black women has largely been ignored.
Both white women and Black men have weaponized lynching against Black women survivors.