Hello! I’m Dahlia, I’m black, and sometimes I cosplay characters that aren’t canonically black. But guess what? It’s still cosplay! In the last few days there’s been a resurfacing of racism towards black cosplayers who cosplay non-black characters. It’s frustrating, and it’s a conversation that’s had every few weeks. We have to fight so hard to convince people that our cosplay is valid, that it’s as accurate as we intended it to be. We get hit with double standards and unsolicited “advice” on characters we would be “better suited for.”
And honestly? Racists are always gonna be racist as long as they choose to be. And we have to try our best to drown them out and live our best lives. So, go out there and support black cosplayers (not just popular ones, not just light skinned ones, not just skinny ones!) Share and like their posts!! Comment nice things and be encouraging!! If you see racist comments, either to yourself or to someone else, report and block the comment and the person! Let racists know that racism is not acceptable and will not be tolerated.
Support and uplift black cosplayers, and make sure racists know that they’re not welcomed or tolerated. Speak up and take action when it matters. Preaching “cosplay is for everyone” and then not sticking up for minorities when you see injustice is just an empty gesture!