I like articles that make me think about my preferred hobbies under a different light, but it is rare that a particular one really opens my eyes to certain problems in our society.
I just read this article, and so should you: http://blackroleplayersorganization.blogspot.ca/2014/08/cosplaying-drow.html
I'd never thought of the fact that the evil races are the ones with different skin colors and the good ones are all white in most Fantasy. The implications are uncomfortable and I even feel somewhat naive for not seeing it. Hell, one time my justification for black elves was "A Half-Black Half-Elf who had a child with an Elf and the child results in an Elf character who looks black." It wasn't that the idea of black Elves bothered me, I just didn't see them as being black, period. I don't think my previous stance was racist in itself, but it certainly was privileged. (I don't write this as a way of guilt-trip or anything, just a fact. I don't feel bad about it per se but I do see the problem with it and intend to change that.) After reading this, I'll now make it so all my campaigns follow the pattern of "Wherever geographically humans would be of a certain skin color, so will the Fantasy races be." Bring on the Asian Dwarves, South Asian Halflings and Black Elves!
