In support of Black creators

I was going to make a toy-related post today for the first time in months.

I have a few days off, and I'm pretty ahead of schedule on my freelance gigs. I relished in the luxury of free time, and wanted to do some writing that was just for me, devoid of deadlines and quality standards.

But as I typed it, something about it felt tone deaf, as it was operating in its own little alternate reality: the safe space of toys. Because this blog is such a non-entity on the greater internet landscape, I rarely use it as a place to express my opinion on real-world events. It feels too much like shouting into the void, and I'd rather channel such energy into platforms where it'll be heard.

Short of last year's Not My Ariel debacle, I can't really think of a single instance where I've tried to get political here.

I am not the right person to weigh in on what's going on right now — or more broadly, what's been going on for centuries — but I am doing my best to educate myself, to spread helpful information in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, and to contribute where I can. I have found the information available on the BLM Carrd so incredibly useful, and I highly recommend it to anyone.

Instead of expressing my thoughts, I've been deferring to others whose voices matter. No need to spread my well-intentioned ignorance as someone on the outside looking in, when there are so many better opinions that we should be listening to.

Today, I wanted to promote Black creators, and try to find content that was on-brand for Toy Eulogy. I know, it's a little silly for a blog with a non-existent reach to attempt such networking, but you know what? If nothing else, I spent the day learning, and that's not a bad way to enjoy a weekend.

Note that not all of these pieces deal with Black issues, but they are all from Black creators. If anyone actually reads this blog, feel free to leave a comment so I can add your work to this list!!

Black Action Figure by ThaMENACING1
Black Doll Collecting by Debbie Behan Garrett
Bevy & Dave by Tiffney Laing
Shindana Toys: Dolls That Made a Difference by Yolanda Hester on PBS SoCal
We Need More Black Protagonists in Gaming by Christopher "buymymixtape123" on GameSkinny
The state of Blackness in gaming by Malindy Hetfeld on Eurogamer
Black Skin is Still a Radical Concept in Video Games by Yussef Cole and Tanya DePass on VICE
5 Black Characters in Gaming that Transcended Stereotypes by Jada Griffin on FANDOM
The 10 Best Black Characters in Video Games by Larry Hester on Complex
Gaming Looks Good by Shareef Jackson on YouTube
Fire Emblem: Three Houses lords by Saskia Gutekunst on ArtStation
Sun and Moon by Kiana Mai on DeviantArt
7 Black Characters in Anime That Everyone Should Know by Theo J Ellis on Black Girl Nerds
Why RPG Fans Should be Very Excited About a Kingdoms of Amalur Remaster by Ethan Anderson on Twinfinite
Pokemon/Avatar art by OhKayArt on Twitter

One thing I did want to emphasise before I click publish, is that as good as it is to speak up now, I implore that people continue to be involved and invested afterwards.

Don't just participate when it's trendy. Keep your ears open, keep looking for answers. I have long found Jalen Rose to be my most trusted voice of reason on world issues. The dude just gets it, and I'm so proud to say he's a Raptors alumni.

In closing, never forget — #BlackLivesMatter.