Black fandom is actually terrible.
Stop being a groupie and cosigning bullshit.
I have pulled back so much from being heavily involved in the Black cosplay community, blerd community, and irl Black fandom spaces within the last two years, and this is because I just don’t feel safe, let alone welcomed, within many of these environments. To make this easier, I will just refer to this as Black fandom. By the way, please take everything I say in this piece with a grain of salt, but also do not take me discussing my experiences within Black fandom spaces as me being anti-Black because that is not the case. I am very quick to call out white nonsense in fandom spaces, so let’s get that straight.
Back in February, I posted a two-hour video discussing the issues within nerdy convention spaces and the cosplay community. A significant portion of that video focused on Black fandom and the lack of action, let alone addressing the problems within our community. There was so much more I wanted to say in that video about our problems, but the video was long enough. There was so much that had happened to me that had built up to that point.
I have been relatively open about my lack of interest in attending Dreamcon, and one of the primary reasons is the guests this convention highlights. I won’t mention his name, but one of the guests at this convention a few years ago spoke about how he disagreed with some of my opinions (which is fine). Still, the aftermath of it led to so much harassment for me, and it didn’t make me feel better knowing I was not the only person this happened to after he spoke up about not liking their opinions.
That man has a pretty big audience. I don’t want to go to events he will be at because his followers harassed me for weeks for not agreeing with what I said, and I would feel unsafe being around them. As someone who has an anxiety disorder, I will do what I can to make sure I feel safe, and this incident still has me nervous. It’s beyond him and his followers not agreeing with me; I don’t care about that. Still, it’s a contribution to a bigger issue within Black fandom, that the Black women and Black feminine-presenting people here do not feel safe because of the kind of people our community praises and holds up on pedestals.
When it comes to Black fandom, I have caught on that Black women, Black feminine-presenting people, Black trans people, and Black gay people are the least protected. This community lets too much Black cishet male nonsense slide, along with not holding anyone accountable in general beyond just them. You all seem to have more of an issue with the people who address the problems than the key issues themselves.
This behavior is not surprising because the Black community in general holds wealthy Black celebrities up on pedestals, regardless of the problems. Yes, I understand that no one is perfect and I am flawed myself, but I will go ahead and say this now: I am side-eying Black creators who associate with and defend DDG while there is proof upon proof that he is an abuser.
I am not the only person in Black fandom who feels this way, yet I seem to be one of the few with a somewhat large following who speaks up about it. The cost of speaking up has resulted in me feeling somewhat isolated. However, I want to make it clear that I wasn’t pushed out; I chose to pull away because I didn't feel wanted, and I will not force myself into an environment where it’s clear that I am not wanted. I also do not want to co-sign bullshit.
I do not care anymore. If you are not Thomas Doherty, I am not your fan. I am no one’s fan. I’m not a groupie. I am not a part of any cliques. I’m tired of the constant ass-kissing in this community. Ass-kissing is getting us nowhere when it comes to improving the well-being of everyone overall. People don’t want to accept that the cost of standing for something is feeling somewhat isolated as a result.
Black fandom was supposed to be a space for Black people to come together to have a great time, but also Black fandom let’s too much fuckery slide. I wish you would all grow a backbone and stand for something. At this point, it’s not much better than the white nonsense that goes within fandom spaces; if anything, it mirrors it. A part of me still has hope that Black fandom becomes safer and welcoming for ALL Black people, not just cishet Black men, but from everything that has happened in the last few years, it’s not likely that this will happen soon.
Thank you all so much for reading. If you are interested in more of my writing, me and Amaya Janelle’s new book You Still Can Not Call Me Sis, is now available for purchase! Offered in paperback and ebook.
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I related so much to this sentiment. It's a big reason in why I refuse to attend BlerdCon again. It's a big reason why I am no longer even partially involved in the black anime spaces in my city (of which I've attended a few woeful events). Too often, non-cishet men are offered up like food in these spaces and their voices are ignored. Allegations are also often swept under the rug. It's a shame but I've come to understand that I cannot be around men with my hobbies and be safe in these environments.
Great read