I have just read that the appearance of Finn, a 'Black' co-lead hero, in Star Wars got criticism and backlash from some Star Wars fans.
And so I just thought that I would review what the original trilogy by George Lucas himself says on the matter.
The fact is that Finn is not the first co-lead hero in Star Wars to be 'black'.
That in fact the largely ensemble cast of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi had a 'black' co-lead hero.
Lando Calrissian.
And, in fact, George Lucas was doing something special with Lando in The Empire Strikes Back.
He was setting us up to not trust Lando in all the ways that the old 'white' mainstream would have us not trust 'Blacks'.
Only to show us that all those bad things that made us wary of trusting Lando were really all Darth Vader and the Empire's fault.
That Lando was a fellow victim.
And that, in fact, Lando Calrissian was willing to sacrafice himself to save others.
And reveals and proves himself a hero and our ally.
And from that point on Lando is a heroic co-lead of an ensemble cast.
And from that point on does as much hero work as Luke himself.
So, to all those Star Wars fans who did not like seeing a 'Black' lead in Finn, see what the original trilogy says on the matter.
That not only did George Lucas give us a 'Black' co-lead hero in the second and third movies in the original trilogy, but George Lucas used that character's story arc in The Empire Strikes Back to denounce the racist cliches that tell us to not trust 'Black' people.
For in real life, like in Star Wars, it is the evil side of the mainstream Imperial system that is the real enemy, and 'Black' people are fellow victims, just like Lando is in the movie.
And that there are many 'Black' people out there who are willing to sacrafice themselves to save others, of any race, just like Lando Calrissian.
And that even those 'Black' people who would not be willing to sacrafice themselves like Lando does are still more likely than not willing to be our ally against the system that causes us all to suffer. If only we will reach out to them and let them.
George Lucas was as much an anti-racist as Jim Henson.
God loves you!
Sincerely,
David S. Annderson