The gaming community is contributing to the fight vs racism by donating and using social media, but it isn't enough to understand the true problem behind it.
Up until a couple years ago, gaming was a complete outcast, making most of us empathetic with the experience of being overlooked, represented on how vocal our industry is when it comes to supporting minorities. However, is way different to be discriminated by the activity that we do, compared to who we are.
Even though we support, why do we still have a very small amount of black pro players, creators and owners? Because of the ugly truth behind American history.
My uneducated ass went on a research journey and since I know people's spam attention is on the ground right now, let me give you The Gamer Gap in 5 minutes:
In 2016, the Urban Institute released a report stating that:
Medium White Household Wealth:
Saving + Assets - Debts = $171.000
Medium Black Household Wealth:
Saving + Assets - Debts = $17.600
The crazy part is that the gap keeps growing. But, why?
I'm sorry mother f^cker... did you have a 240 year concussion about black people being slaved to create wealth for white people?
Wealth grows through generations, it takes times, but it does.
If my math isn't wrong:
White Grandparent w/money + White Parent w/money + White Son/Daughter =
Another white Son/Daughter w/money.
But what is money though? Where does it come from?
The common element across time of acquiring wealth is property. For the Medium Household Family, property represents 2/3 of their wealth.
People take for granted the power of getting a house by your grandparents, that now is 10x its value + in a neighbourhood with opportunities and people with the same advantages as you. This shit is huge right here.
The Great Depression in 1930s f^cked most people in the US. So the government came up with mortgage loans for affected families. But they didn't provide these to "areas of risk".
How was risk calculated? By race, literally.
Now we have a country with painted states diving areas not only by skin color but also by the difference of opportunities and perks between them.
Racist Marketing Campaign of the Week:
Media targeted the very small % of black families with enough wealth to get into white neighbourhoods, by creating propaganda around the concept of "black families will decrease the value of other houses in the area".
Leading to:
Now that is evident why white people are getting more access to education than black people, let's run the example of both white and black students reaching the same level of education.
The big fat fact here is that during life after college, most white graduates see an immediate increase of wealth while most black people see a decrease of it.
Why?
Why do you think that in every interview with a successful black person the first thing we hear is — "I was the first to graduate from my family".
Because it's a f^cking reality and a huge accomplishment given the circumstances they had to go through. Their wealth goes down because they are the ones who need to take care of their entire families. Relatives ask for help, graduates respond. It's something craved in black peoples personalities from the get-go.
Get a degree = help my family.
If we still need a bit more reassurance on why education is different?
Schools get funded by property taxes, and since black areas had been f^cked by the system for years, all these schools are badly funded. Which results in crowded classes, less resources, less qualified and interested teachers, no tutors, less extra-curricular activities. White areas schools have the exact opposite reality.
Like any other industry, gaming also has a lack of black representatives. On top of every responsibility we all have, black youth needs to also fight against the two biggest wealth determinants, property and education.
Years of slavery, exclusion laws and current discrimination made a snowball effect on black people's wealth today, so don't give me that "slavery is in the past now" bullshit.
Systemic racism is a generational problem, that's why is so hard to solve.
(Approx.) Number of black pro players in main leagues:
There isn't A solution, but there is an approachable problem. At least contribute with the process.
The truth is that I don't have enough resources to help black people in ways team and company owners can, yet. Anyways my email and DM's are open for you and I can help mainly in two ways:
If we want to see equal opportunity and true diversity in pro gaming, then let's do it with concrete actions. You won't change the system, forget about the system. This issue is global, it will take time. Focus in what you can do around your reach first.
