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#DS9 #FarBeyondTheStars is a great episode ... at demonstrating how far Star Trek fandom has to go at recognizing and confronting its own racism.
1/9 Fans (like me) were/are so used to holding up their fandom credentials as proof of non-racism that we almost universally fail to-
1/9 Fans (like me) were/are so used to holding up their fandom credentials as proof of non-racism that we almost universally fail to-
2/9 -question and examine ourselves in any meaningful way. First problem: we look at the lessons in #FBTS through historical context, lessons learned and over. When FBTS premiered the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was only *34 years old* ... or two years older than Star Trek itself.
3/9 We treat Star Trek as a living breathing evolving event, but we treat Black Civil Rights as some sort of ancient Aesop tale -- to be admired, but considered a closed issue requiring no further self reflection.
Yet we give McCarthyism more "vigilance" w/ TNG's "The Drumhead."
Yet we give McCarthyism more "vigilance" w/ TNG's "The Drumhead."
4/9 Many fans simultaneously hold up #FBTS as prime Star Trek, but then hate on #StarTrekDiscovery for fulfilling the envisioned outcome of Civil Rights. FBTS accurately illustrated everyday life for Black Americans. So why didn't more fans listen? REALLY LISTEN??????
5/9 BECAUSE, FBTS (its only sin) did not explicitly tell us the same systemic violence against Black Americans STILL HAPPENS TODAY. Sure, we all agree that racism is bad. But how many Trek fans in 1998 would have said "the Black experience is still as bad now as it was then"?
6/9 We, white Americans, are self-programmed to believe that YAY WE DID IT RACISM IS OVER. I believed that growing up. I believed Benny Russell's experience, but I would have said it couldn't have happened again in 1998. After all ... Star Trek was proof that racism was over.
7/9 I love Star Trek, but I also recognize that Star Trek can be weaponized to avoid accountability in systemic oppression. "I can't be racist! I [have a Black friend/am a Star Trek fan]!" No. Now that Star Trek, with Discovery and Picard, explicitly denies this weaponization ...
8/9 ... the racist fandom base retaliates with "iT iSnT sTaR tReK" and "But look at FBTS ... *that* was Star Trek!" No, sir. Both are Star Trek. Just like #FBTS went further than #TOS #LTBYLB, today's Trek goes further than FBTS to call out American Racism.
So what should we do?
So what should we do?
9/9 Here's what I want: a restored 4k presentation of FBTS, where writers, activists, and historians reflect on the episode and discuss how it fits in the greater conversation of American Racism. #DS9 #FBTS is an absolute gem. Let's use it to keep the conversation going.
#LLAP
#LLAP
(Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.)
