#black characters

I recently got into a decade-old video game where one of the first important characters you meet (and the first human companion you can get) is a Black man who is the de facto leader of a little group that he’s trying to keep safe while traveling through a hostile environment. He’s unique in that he fills a couple different gameplay roles, one of which is being the quest-giver for his faction, which was kind of a strange choice for someone who is also a companion because he’s always got new quests for you. He’s not a flat character whatsoever— he’s got as solid and heartbreaking of a backstory as anyone else in the game— but I was worried people would treat him like he’s made of cardboard since he’s always giving you new quests. Instead, I’ve been blown away by how much the fandom genuinely adores this guy!

From what I’ve seen in much older posts, there was some flak about him when the game was newer, citing him being “annoying” and “flat” (which is just canonically incorrect, even if you include the quest-giving) but as a newer fan I have only seen ONE (1) post that mentioned him in a remotely negative light, in all my hours of searching through tumblr and on fans’ blogs. Whatever the case was when the game was newer, every blog I visit just adores the guy (and I’m not even always looking for fanworks about him specifically). The number of variations of impassioned posts that read something like “PRESTON THEY COULD NEVER MAKE ME HATE YOU” or “screw you if you don’t like Preston Garvey,” is so great that I was stunned the first time I saw posts (rightfully) criticizing fans’ negativity for the guy, since I’d never seen anyone who wasn’t adamantly defending him. Fans seem to genuinely enjoy his character (rather than reducing him to tropes or a caricature), draw him as he is actually designed, and treat him with love and respect— even when he’s not their number one favorite or romance choice.

I’d never claim that ANY fandom is flawless, but the amount of love (that doesn’t boil down to sexualization, infantilization, OR using him as a cardboard cutout for shipping) is refreshing after seeing so much anti-Blackness everywhere else. Similarly, there is a refreshing lack of whitewashing. (I’m not saying that none of those things exist in the fandom— and I’m certainly not qualified to make a call on it— but from what I’ve seen, it’s not nearly as widespread as it is elsewhere.)

I know this is all very basic stuff, it should be the absolute bare minimum for respecting Black characters 😭 But even so, I thought you might like to hear some positive news about a fandom actually caring about a Black character, given what you deal with on the daily

White queer fandom will go out of their way to ship white and\or light skin characters with anyone else but their partner of color, they ignore and avoid ships of color or ships that include characters of color of all sexualities but claim they don't like "x ship" because its het when they treat queer characters of color in relationship just as bad and in my opinion, worse than het ships of color which are already hated and ignored by fandom. Men of color, women of color, queer people of color in ships?? Not on their watch! These can't be cute, they've got too much melanin!

They claim they cant relate to characters of color and ignore feminist and queer stories and experiences of people of color. They say black women in ships are "too good" for the men their with so they take the man and ship him with everyone else because shes "strong and independent on her own and he cant handle all that!" Black character has chemistry with white character? No they dont! Your just reading into it too much! They're boring together according to white fandom!

They must insert their view of white queerness into anything they don't feel they can connect with, thing is about culture? Being mixed? Generational trauma among families of color? Must be about white queerness in some way!

Showing off some of the designs\characters of mine i really like

Starting from the top we have Blair - Louisiana creole Tristan - 🇨🇵 and Navajo "Token" Aaron - Afro-Indigenous 🤠 🐴 Hector - Afro-Indigenous Reina - 🇪🇷 Bida - 🇵🇭 Jeraco - Afro-Indigenous Oda - 🇯🇵 Cypress - Black (umm im still figuring out his cultural origin) Tatsuo, fantasy version - Blasian Indigenous 🇯🇵 Donovan - Afro 🇨🇴 Abigail - Afro 🇹🇴 Lazarus - 🇪🇬 And Sinbad - 🇰🇭