TheStar Warsfranchise issued a statement condemning the egregious online harassment and racism targeted towardObi-Wan Kenobistar Moses Ingram. The statement comes after Ingram revealed that hundreds of racist messages were sent to her by toxic fans of the galactic universe, some of which included the use of the N-word.
TheStar Warsseries made its long-awaited debut on May 27th, gifting audiences with two brand-new episodes to spark the newest adventure of the emblematic Jedi Master. Ingram made her official franchisedebut inObi-Wan Kenobias the nefarious antagonist Inquisitor Reva, whose motivation is to capture the sequestered Jedi. The overall reception from fans regarding the two episodes has been relatively positive, but some harbor ignorance toward Ingram’s presence in the series.
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As a Black woman entering theStar Warsfranchise, Ingram was well aware of the online harassment and racism she would face from specific sectors of hate in the fandom. Despite being prepared by Lucasfilm executives for the harassment that was to come, Ingram acknowledged the shock and pain felt from being called a “diversity hire” for theObi-Wan Kenobiseries, along with the other unsettling comments that have prompted the franchise to respond in her defence. “We are proud to welcome Moses Ingram to the Star Wars family and excited for Reva’s story to unfold. If anyone intends to make her feel in any way unwelcome, we have only one thing to say: we resist,” reads the statement.
“There are more than 20 million sentient species in the Star Wars galaxy, don’t choose to be a racist,” expressed the second message from theStar Warsofficial Twitter account. Lucasfilm executives noted that they would be fully present to defendtheObi-Wan Kenobistarif any racist comments came in her direction. The troubling reality of racism in certain areas of the fandom is unacceptable, which theStar Warsfranchise has indicated by officially stating that enough is enough.
Ingram has a resume that goes well beyond the Disney Plus original series, having starred in the Oscar-nominated filmThe Tragedy of Macbethand the ground-breaking Netflix original seriesThe Queen’s Gambit. Seeing her inclusion in theObi-Wan Kenobiseries should have sparked excitement across the board due to the level of talent cast alongsideEwan McGregor and Hayden Christensen. Ingram’s casting adds vigor to the series, but it also allows young girls of color to see that they have a place in theStar Warsuniverse.
Ingram noted thatObi-Wan Kenobiwould bring a significant level of diversity to the galactic universe, which has been long overdue for many. However, with the exciting and much-needed diversity comes the critics that will fight against it, but the franchise seems adamant about denouncing hateful speech once it arises. It’ll be interesting to see what more Ingram can bring to the series in a role that carries more inspiration than hate.
Obi-Wan Kenobiairs new episodes every Wednesday on Disney Plus.
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