{"id":102060,"date":"2024-08-22T14:35:53","date_gmt":"2024-08-22T18:35:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blackgirlnerds.com\/?p=102060"},"modified":"2024-08-22T18:11:43","modified_gmt":"2024-08-22T22:11:43","slug":"black-women-and-star-wars-why-so-much-vitriol","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blackgirlnerds.com\/black-women-and-star-wars-why-so-much-vitriol\/","title":{"rendered":"Black Women and Star Wars: Why So Much Vitriol?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It\u2019s been quite some time since I\u2019ve written an op-ed about the Star Wars fandom, specifically its treatment of men and women of color. And if we\u2019re going to be super specific, Black women seem to get the worst kind of vitriol from the so-called fans of this franchise.\u00a0There\u2019s also the contempt for queer stories within the universe by this small yet loud community of MAGA-like fans that use terms like \u201cwoke\u201d and \u201cforced diversity.\u201d\u00a0This is clearly a dog whistle to their sycophants that if it\u2019s not cis, white, and male, it\u2019s not the Star Wars they knew nor grew up with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On August 19, 2024, the trade publication Deadline <\/em>announced an exclusive<\/a> that the Disney+ series The Acolyte<\/em><\/a> was canceled and would not be renewed for a second season.\u00a0This announcement ironically occurred the same day fans of the series were celebrating Manny Jacinto\u2019s birthday.\u00a0Manny Jacinto plays Qimir, one of the main characters of the series. His performance this season received a great deal of critical acclaim from fans as he was able to maneuver playing both the light and dark side of this enigmatic character.\u00a0However, not every character was well-received on the series, and that included many of the female characters on the show.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the deal with Star Wars and Black women though?<\/p>\n\n\n

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The Acolyte<\/em>\u2019s leading star Amandla Stenberg<\/a>, who plays a dual role as Verosha “Osha” and Mae-ho (Mae), has undoubtedly received more mixed opinions from viewers than any other character.\u00a0While there are fans like myself who thought Amandla gave a stunning performance playing a twin, others didn\u2019t feel the same way.\u00a0But the issue isn\u2019t whether you liked her performance or not because our opinions of an actor or character depiction will always be subjective.\u00a0The issue is the real-life treatment of the actor playing the part. In the case of Amandla, she received hate in her IG comments after news of the cancellation reached the interwebs.\u00a0And it\u2019s awful what these toxic people are saying.\u00a0The tragedy in all of this is that this is not Amandla\u2019s first rodeo with online hatred.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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These are just some of the comments under Amandla Stenberg\u2019s latest Instagram post. Yet another black Star Wars actor getting harassed, and not a single word from Lucasfilm to denounce it.

Is this the audience you want to pander to? pic.twitter.com\/q17Uvgu3r8<\/a><\/p>— Noah (@keldorjedii) August 20, 2024<\/a><\/blockquote>