Black Fortnite skins are about more than pop culture

digitaltrends.com:

In the 23 years I’ve known my sister, Fortnite is the only video game I’ve been able to get her to play on a consistent basis since our days of playing Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and 3 back when we were kids. You may think, “Well yeah, everyone has fallen in love with Fortnite at one time or another. It’s a very popular game.” And you’re right. Part of the reason is that it’s extremely fun, especially since she, my partner, our friend, and I have made it into our go-to group activity. But one big aspect that keeps bringing her back is the fact that she can see herself in the characters she uses in the game.

Notably, she uses the featured skins of Hollywood star Zendaya, who become the main character in her Fortnite experience. For her, it’s not about playing as her favorite Spider-Man character, but as a hero that actually looks like her.

My sister has always looked for Black women to look up to in pop culture. Women that look like her and share her sensibilities — and the big and small struggles she goes through. Zendaya became that, and her inclusion in Fortnite quite literally changed the game for my sister. Suddenly, she wasn’t just playing a game as a white character that she had no connection with. She was playing as someone she looked up to and could relate to on multiple levels, complexion included.

My sister and other Black players, especially women, are constantly looking for games where they can see a main character that somewhat resembles them. Despite so many games being on the market, it’s never been an easy thing to do. We’ve got our badasses like Garcian Smith from Killer7, Shinobu from No More Heroes, and a few more, but you’d be hard-pressed to find one that isn’t just a stereotype or played for sex appeal