Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

START/SELECT: Press Pause, Seek Out Black Voices

START%2FSELECT%3A+Press+Pause%2C+Seek+Out+Black+Voices

Given the recent murder of George Floyd among many others, it feels inappropriate to divert any attention whatsoever from the urgent and important work of protest and activism that has been both brought to the fore and sparked anew. This message will be brief, as it is critical we listen to and amplify Black voices right now. 

Rather than writing a typical article, I instead urge you, if you can, to donate to your local chapter of Black Lives Matter or to a local bail fund for people arrested while protesting. I also encourage you to educate yourself on systemic racism and police brutality to transition anti-racism efforts into an effective long-term movement that achieves real change. Again, it is essential to take this time to center Black voices and listen to the people who have been living and working at the center of this movement long before the last few weeks.

The events of the past weeks, in addition to the centuries of injustice Black folks have suffered at the hands of white people, have reaffirmed loudly and clearly that there exists deep, systemic hatred woven into the fabric of our society that we must excise. I would urge you to support the Black Lives Matter movement to achieve this end. If you are scared or made uneasy about the process of change occurring in our nation, I would urge you to critically examine your reaction and engage your capacity for empathy for the groups and people of color who have long suffered from hatred. 

A central conceit of video games as a medium has always been empathy, insofar as you are asked to control different players, take on different personas and inhabit other perspectives to achieve your end. Video games exist as a bold statement of belief that each one of us has the capacity for empathy in great amounts. I share that belief. Now is the time for us to prove it.

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