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Here is a very overdue post of an episode I felt ill-equipped to lead, but was glad I did anyway. The portrayal of other races and ethnicities in the Harry Potter series is not something many people think about, yet once you do it’s eye-opening.
When I posted on social media asking for guests for Potterweek, two friends came to me with the idea of discussing race. Mimi and Robyn both had their own personal perspectives on the issue of race in Harry Potter and I was ready to be enlightened.
Some of the questions we asked:
How did you feel about Hermione Granger being cast as a black girl? Is it probable based on the text?
Does “traditional” racism exist in the Harry Potter world?
What’s a Panju?
Did we grow up seeing representations of ourselves?
Are our expectations of JK Rowling too high?
Why were all the rejected partners in Potter people of color?
Read more about Race in Harry Potter:
- Mimi’s piece of race in Potter: Characters Are Not a Coloring Book
- Every Single Word– an edit of every word spoken by a person of color in the Potter series
- Native American representation in Potter
- Writing the Other- a website and workshop helping creators learn how to talk about and create characters different from them
Want more Potterweek? See our episodes about religion, journalism, and more.
Let us know your realizations about race in Harry Potter in the comments, via email, or on social media. We’re @comromco everywhere.
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