6/11/2020
I’m going to interrupt my scheduled blog post about my current favorite deck on Arena to say a few words about the current U.S. climate and Wizards of the Coast’s response. I don’t know how many people will read this, or will find it thoughtful or well articulated. But I felt like saying nothing is no longer what I want to be doing.
First and foremost: black lives matter.
Second: Wizards of the Coast definitely has a hiring and/or culture problem that needs to be addressed.
Third: the collective outrage at Wizards’s initial responses to recent events in the U.S. is overblown and painful to witness.
Last week Wizards released the following statement regarding racial injustice:
It’s among the thousands of statements made by companies throughout the U.S., and I don’t expect anyone to be overly impressed with it. The charitable donations are, at least, concrete action, and a logical first step.
Yesterday they banned 7 cards for their “depictions of racism,” as outlined here:
https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/news/depictions-racism-magic-2020-06-10
I put “depictions of racism” in quotes because there has been a lot of heated debate about whether the chosen cards are, in fact, racist. I’m not going to wade into that particular argument. I’ll just say that I have no problem with Wizards deciding that certain cards from its past are not indicative of how they want the game portrayed in 2020 and beyond. A few have homes in Commander, and will likely continue to be used there despite the official bannings. It’s a largely symbolic gesture, and you can take it or leave it as you will.
What I feel the need to weigh in on is the amount of cynicism or outright anger people immediately began spouting about the decision to ban several cards for art or flavor reasons. Many people criticized Wizards for essentially “doing nothing” about racial injustice (some, I suspect, unaware of the charitable donations referenced above.) Some were furious at what they believe is the only response the company will take to recent events. Others seemed appalled that Wizards hasn’t already addressed their company culture and hiring practices.
Yes, Wizards has previously claimed they were “working on” the lack of diversity within their walls, and there’s no clear sign of such work. But I don’t believe they can, or will, do nothing going forward. They’ve promised change, and I honestly believe we’ll see it. Not because I have some inherent faith in Wizards to naturally “do the right thing”, because it’s clear that’s not been the case in the past.
I believe change is coming, not just at Wizards, but across the country, because there’s no alternative that doesn’t end very, very badly. And as cynical as I can be at times, I don’t believe recent events are leading to a terrible endpoint. There is real change already happening in America, and the death of George Floyd has been a catalyst for huge changes that previously seemed improbable if not impossible.
How quickly change comes to Wizards, and what form it takes, may very well not be satisfactory to many. But I don’t believe doing nothing is an option they will take.
Banning 7 cards for art or flavor reasons has already proven highly controversial, with a lot of players railing against “virtue signaling” or what they perceive to be an empty gesture. As (thankfully) some players have pointed out, this was a simple measure the company could take quickly. It was NOT the first action they took – the above PR statement and monetary donations were – but to believe it’s the ONLY action Wizards will take is, I think, excessively cynical.
I get it – to many, Wizards is an awful, hollow, greedy corporation that doesn’t care about the game or its players. Banning cards for art or flavor reasons seems superficial and merely performative. Many feel it was unnecessary or revisionist, done to placate a small number of overly sensitive players (who they may believe don’t actually exist.)
Whether you agree with the decision or not, it’s a start. Should Wizards have made more significant changes long before recent events put such a spotlight on racial injustice and systemic racism? Of course. Does it look bad when any company “takes a stand” over something they should have been standing for/against years earlier? Obviously.
Companies, like people, can have moments of awakening that are long overdue. It’s absolutely fair to criticize a company – or person – for turning a blind eye to problems that should have been previously addressed. Wizards has opened its eyes (or, perhaps more accurately, had its eyes forced open) and has pledged improvement. And I have no doubt that the very vocal playerbase who are demanding action will hold them accountable for promises made.
I believe change will come. What it looks like, or how soon it arrives, is going to be another huge flashpoint that will spark a lot of debate. But I believe Wizards deserves an opportunity to prove they can grow and change.
And Wizards must change. I honestly believe they know it. Lip service will no longer suffice.
My hope is that players will show some patience and temper any outsized expectations. Real change is necessary, but it may come slowly. Banning a few cards was one small gesture that could be made quickly. Changing a corporate culture will not happen in a few months.
Considering its history, are there any small actions Wizards can take that won’t be labeled “virtue signaling”? Is there any way they won’t be criticized for tokenism when they next hire someone black? These are necessary actions, and lambasting Wizards for making them will not be productive. They must be only the start of real and sustained change, and that is how we should ultimately judge the company.
Recall that as the cards themselves began to more closely reflect the diversity of the real world, an extremely vocal minority railed against the changes, some even going as far as to claim that Wizards was pandering to SJWs and it would be the ruin of the game. Instead, the game has thrived and slowly (far, far too slowly) began to widen its appeal to people of all races, genders, and creeds. Having almost exclusively white people create art depicting a more realistic ratio of people of color wasn’t acceptable. But it was better than what had come before. It wasn’t sufficient, but it was progress. Today, more than incremental progress is needed. Wholesale change must come.
I sincerely hope that when I’m an old man, there will still be opportunities for me to change the course of my life – to try and fix what I’ve broken, to change beliefs I’ve wrongly clung to. And in those moments, I will surely feel shame for having let the situation stand for as long as I did. I’ll (hopefully) accept criticism for my failures, and be allowed to prove I can be better.
All of us, including Wizards, can be better.
Reveal injustice, demand change, and celebrate true progress.
Casual Magicking 