Art Historian Of Azeroth; Former Reliquary Curator

At the Gates of Dis (Oils) by Kim Jakobsson

“Floral and Cloudband” Carpet, Metropolitan Museum of Art: Islamic Art

Gift of Ralph Dudley, 1953 Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY Medium: Cotton (warp and weft), wool (pile); asymmetrically knotted pile

The new data mine announcements have provided a great deal of excitement for nearly every single WoW player, especially the roleplaying community. The customization options we were promised were starting to come to light and elation was felt everywhere. When looking at skin tone choices, something that is so minimal yet so impactful, players of color and our allies rejoiced at the diversity. 

At last we could have various shades of brown to play our beloved races beyond that of just humans (who had very few shades to begin with). This is a big moment for us (players of color), at last we were heard by the media and something was done about it. This isn’t just oh cool and then move on. No. This is a very powerful and pivotal moment in gaming history. After nearly 15 years, meaningful change has been made on this subject. Let that sink in. 

Instead of receiving support and solidarity, many players who speak on this are being silenced and talked over. Their excitement for finally getting to see themselves in their blood elf or gnome is getting erased by the thrill of heterochromia and new hair colors. When even attempting to have a simple conversation about representation, people are reminded covertly that this is a white space and that they are outnumbered. They are silenced. They are erased. And the funny thing is this isn’t new, this is a long standing problem being brought to focus for everyone to see now. Often I see the tactic played of ‘oh it was just a joke’ or ‘you are making a big deal out of this’, as means to distract and attempt to place the perpetrators feelings first. Rachel Elizabeth Cargle, writer for Harper’s BAZAAR, spoke to this point perfectly:

“Silencing happens when, for white people, hearing the truth is too much; when the truth hangs so painfully heavy on their shoulders that they’d rather get rid of the weight, than actually face the issue head on. But why would something as virtuous as truth be a burden for some? Because when the truth is held up, it reflects the false securities that our society rests on: the elitism, the capitalism, the racism, the ableism, the sexism, the homo/transphobia, the xenophobia, the anti-blackness. And the people who benefit from those systems have a hard time letting go of their privilege within those realms. To escape these truths, silencing has very often been the answer.” (2019) 

When considering why this happens and how this is protected by the general populace, one must consider what white fragility does. In 2011, sociologist and author Robin DiAngelo coined the term to describe “the disbelieving defensiveness that white people exhibit when their ideas about race and racism are challenged”. This is especially true when they feel implicated in white supremacy, i.e. “I’m not racist!”. DiAngelo writes that many white people lack the “racial stamina” to engage in difficult conversations, instead responding to any form of “racial triggers” with “emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt” and “behaviors such as argumentation, silence, and withdrawal from the stress-inducing situation”. DiAngelo states “To the degree that white progressives think we have arrived, we will put our energy into making sure that others see us as having arrived”. I encourage everyone, especially white readers, to read the full The New Yorker article on this subject. Take a moment to understand and see what people are saying instead of victimizing yourself or disparaging the conversation.  

Let’s take a moment to consider Fantasy 

The default is white. The white fantasy is projected and protected by many who consume this culture and it is so normative that questioning it gets packaged as problematic. In fantasy, room is given for dragon people, fantastical feats of magic, and time travel yet ironically there’s no actual significant space for characters of color. And when there are characters of color, they are presented with heavy stereotypical markers and presented as an othered race. In WoW, the presentation of brown skin tones for Humans is a near mute point when you observe the representation in the story of those people. Humans by default are white. 

Whenever attempting to have a conversation looking at fantasy as part of a larger media issue, any concerns are washed away either by straight up trolling or having the conversation redirected to every other random thread possible. The reality within the white fandom is that these conversations don’t actually exist to discuss the issues or seek changes. Rather they exist to provide the appearance of concern and progressive thought while things stay exactly the same. Time again this point is proven by some form of racist bullshit hidden behind lore getting pushed forward.  

For years, I have heard white players of WoW indicate that brown blood/high elves are not canon. That they do not exist in this world, so stop making them. The elf roleplaying community has wrongly projected this as a truth and gatekeeps on what makes someone’s elf canonical. When we think about the space and those who play these narratives, it is majority white and as such their voices are placed at the forefront. The disdain that brown elves receive is just deplorable and ignorant. Many white players disparage these narratives through comments with hurtful subtext, microaggressions, and in some cases just blatant racism. This creates an environment that is unhealthy and dangerous for players of color to even express themselves much less their characterizations. 

It is telling when the creators of a franchise state that blood elves can indeed have varying shades of brown skin and the larger community go into uproar over it. You are hiding your racism behind lore. Period. Don’t lie about it, don’t try to re-package it to appear better in front of your peers. The truth is people who push that argument hold racial bias and refuse to see the ‘perfectly’ white presentation of elves (or any of the other races receiving this addition) sullied with blackness. Furthermore, that point of it not being lore is false because Devi, a high elf sorceress, is “a dark-skinned elf with raven-black hair” (Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects, 2011). The creators of this franchise explicitly state in 2011, nearly 10 years ago, that dark-skin high elves existed. Not a half-elf or some kind of Black Dragon in disguise, but a full blood high elf.

Recently I was told by someone who plays an elf that my blog and voice makes them feel empowered as a black woman. That they were scared to make that known to the greater community because of how they could be treated and I gave them confidence to speak their truth. That right there speaks to the disgusting problem this community has. The reason why conversations about the new brown shades for blood elves is being downplayed and silenced. What this says is: We do not want to hear you. We do not want to see you. These are the same people who are culture vultures and take things such as music, dance, and fashion from POCs but will never view them as real people with valid issues concerning racism. 

Voices and Impact 

The social costs for a person of color speaking out on this kind of discrimination is so high that many don’t risk pointing out the issue when they see it. There is defined fear in speaking one’s truth because of how this community and greater society exists. This Guardian article by Ijeoma Oluo highlights this point. Those who come forward are ‘bad guys’ and attacked from multiple persons because they spoke of their lived experience. They are told by white players what is and isn’t okay, what will be rallied behind and what won’t be. I am fully aware that in writing this I will be a sacrificial lamb, but it needs to be said. 

And the expectations of ‘white solidarity’ will cause some white people who support POCs to forebear from correcting other white players racial missteps to preserve some kind of peace. This makes genuine allyship nonexistent and allows for white fragility to keep racism covertly and overtly in place.   

The blood elves getting brown skin tones is very important to me, a black woman who has partook in fantasy and sci-fi culture for many decades. Far too often I was told why don’t I just play a troll or make a black human then, all code for stop bringing your blackness into my protected white space of elves. But now, Blizzard has provided the visuals that I have always created for my character. That she is beautifully brown and that it is has ALWAYS been canon. 

To all the people of color who play and roleplay in this community, you are so fucking valid. Especially my brown people of color, those made to feel that your dark skin makes you unwanted and ugly.  You are beautiful, talented and so damn creative. You are strong and resilient for dealing with this for so long. But never forget you are not alone. I am here for you and others are too. Come forward and share your story. You have a right to your voice and never let anyone take that away.

Educator and author Layla F. Saad encapsulated how I feel about this perfectly.

Thank you for saying it better than I ever could, Xepher. 

Darker skin tones for belves is something to be celebrated. Anyone who says it’s not lore-friendly is absolutely using lore as a shield to hide racist bullshit. Ultimately, Blizzard decides what is canon, and if they say blood elves of color are canon by making these darker skin tones available, then it’s canon. Done. End of story.

They did this because the phoenix is a creature of death and flame. What was old fades away, crumbling to ash. From these ashes, an egg is formed from which springs new life in a burst of flame.