Blizzard community,
Our world has a long history of racism. Humans create groups, and then create divisions between groups unlike themselves. Ironic how we need each other as social creatures, yet we developed the practice to ‘other’ humans who at first glance don’t look like what we see in the mirror.
I have made it a personal obligation to educate myself about trauma others endure, and to work to change those experiences for them. Many within Blizzard come from a place of strong purpose, with a will to do in order to help society.
Last year at BlizzCon, I made a commitment for Blizzard to do better. We pride ourselves on learning and growing, and doing something now that reflects our company and community values. I also said that our actions would matter more than our words—we have been publicly silent until now because action is the important part.
Let me be clear: Blizzard stands in solidarity with those fighting against racism, because racism is as dangerous as any pandemic for those affected. We stand with those fighting against social and institutional structures that promote inequality among people of color.
Last week, AB announced donations to the Equal Justice Initiative, the United Negro College Fund, and the Management Leaders of Tomorrow (MLT) to fight systemic racial inequality. At Blizzard, we are working on initiatives for our community and our workplace.
In our games: For many years, we’ve had teams working with A.I. and machine learning to reduce toxicity and hate speech, as well as to help improve the overall gaming experience. Since January 1 this year, we’ve banned over 30,000 accounts for these reasons, as well as issued more than three million total hours of player suspensions. These penalties have notably improved our game environments: over the last two years, we’ve seen a 43% reduction in poor behavior reports, and a 59% reduction in the re-offense rate. And while this is progress, we’ve identified other places where we can use this technology and have more work to continue to do toward this effort.
In our relationships: We are also reviewing our partnerships to identify opportunities to support Black-owned and diverse businesses, and to amplify the voices of Black content creators and influencers.
Juneteenth: Today at Blizzard, we are observing Juneteenth with the goal of encouraging employees to take the time to be educated. We hosted a virtual session with a leader in our home city of Irvine, California, so employees can learn more about implicit bias, implications for law and policy, and how they can get involved in local efforts to drive change. We have also provided a list of resources to help coworkers self-educate, and shared ways to get involved in advocacy.
Ongoing: We are stronger with more diverse views and experiences. We are committed to being a more equitable workplace, including how and where we recruit, our HR practices, and employee support. We will also put an ongoing employee education program into place. This program will include more training and education (with the materials purchased from Black and minority-owned businesses), and Blizzard-wide town halls with experts on allyship, advocacy, and racism.
All of this work will continue to make Blizzard better, and play some small part in a larger, positive shift.
To our Black community, colleagues, and partners, Blizzard stands with you.
Black lives matter, today and always.
- J. Allen Brack, president of Blizzard Entertainment
I mean isn't that what most are trying to do? Use our brain for critical thinking.
Isn't it worse to just mute people because they aren't "on your side." Isn't that the real hate speech? One side is hating the other while the other is trying to figure things out with data and discussion.
While I agree that conversation is necessary for education and that it is detrimental to simply shut people up, I must say it is tiresome to repetitively explain why something is racist. How much patience must oppressed minorities be expected to have? You push me and you push me and you push me, eventually I am going to snap and shut you up. I cannot say that I surprised that this is what happens. I want to shut you up already and I have only read one ignorant thing that you have written.
Just to be clear statistics are not facts. In fact they are very different. The former indicate information and must be analysed and interpreted. The latter, in any even exist (I am more of a believer in Dewey's warranted assertability in I am honest) are statements that are true. If a study suggests an IQ differential it is not a statement of fact. It is an invitation for analysis of the data and one that I would argue is the result, not of natural inequality, but of social inequality. Let us not forget there is an IQ differential between class and gender as well. Social inequality is the result of an unequal, unjust and oppressive state of affairs. There must be consequences of it. One of them, unsurprisingly, is that the oppressors score well by the terms they've have defined. Well whoopdy f@cking doo!!
The question to ask is why, not to take it as proof of existing prejudice and assert it as justification for that prejudice.
Racism and prejudice aren't going away. That's a fact. You can argue coherence, Dewey, deflationary or whatever the hell you want to about truth/facts... it doesn't really matter when it comes to this issue. What is important is how we discuss and educate ourselves to be better (minimize racism/prejudice/etc).
Pushing definitely isn't the answer. Empathy, understanding, and learning is... all of which are not happening when one side "knows better than the other."
I agree, pushing is not the answer but sometimes it is too much to expect someone to have the strength not to push back.
We are not moral exemplars.
My point is that violence does not occur from a vacuum, it is a response - and many of the people, here and elsewhere, that are quick to denounce BLM and its participants as violent reactionaries need to recognise that the violence - as much as the protests themselves - are a reaction to the unjustness of society. It cannot be used as an argument against BLM, it is further proof that something is categorically wrong with the structure of society.
What about Hong Kong? Blizz where are your guts when u have to express your ideals of support against any kind of freedom repression?
ALL LIVES MATTER!
good bot?
Do Hongkongers lives matter?
*Blizzard has left the chat*
Couldn't have said it better myself. This just proves that Blizzard are complete hypocrites. Before HK they chose to show their support to LGBTQ+ community during one of their events. Then we had all HK and Blitz ruckus and they chose to silence people. Now we have this BLM situation and they decice to support it... Because guess what? It pays back! LGBTQ+ and BLM member play Blizzard games, sure does HK people too, but Chinas goverment just pays more.
Even as a Caucasian I don't understand the willingness for people to defend criminality within the ranks of the police. Blacks might be targeted in some places, but there are casualties of all races from criminal police officers.
The "BLM" thing seems to poorly named IMO, but can we honestly say there hasn't been a longstanding history of racism on all levels of American culture, including the most casual spaces like gaming culture?
The movement is named BLM so that you can be called racist for criticising or opposing it.
There has literally never been a culture of racism in gaming, until recently with the push for diversity quotas.
So is your issue with the naming and intent of the BLM movement specifically? Do you agree with the general idea that racism is present, consciously or unconsciously, across many levels of American society and has been historically?
I think everyone is a little racist and biologically speaking it's completely natural due to the tribal nature of our evolution.
But I guess you're probably talking about the systemic racism bullshit which is simply an excuse to belittle white people. Weird how people that bring up "systemic racism" never want to apply the theory to non-white majority countries.
And yeah the intent and naming of BLM are both malevolent.
So you think everyone is a bit racist (which I agree with) but you think the idea that this inherent racism could lead to a degree of systemic bias by the dominant ethnicity in a country is bullshit? I feel you're not following your initial thought through to the logical conclusion there.
And I mean I guess I'm happy to apply this theory to any country? I'm sure it holds in almost any country, it's not like I think it only happens in white-majority countries. I'm just speaking as someone who lives in a majority-white country who doesn't have a whole lot of knowledge of the race dynamics of, say, Democratic Republic of Congo so I prefer to focus on my own society first. The idea that you could say racism happens in other countries so therefore why are we discussing it here seems like classic whataboutery to me.
I see. So Americans should focus on their own problems first instead of the problems of other countries. Does that include asylum seekers and United Nations affairs?
The only bias black people seem to face in America is getting pushed to the front of the line for jobs and education placements thanks to affirmative action. Or sometimes bias from each other and "progressives" for not acting black.
I think that the fact that racism exists in other countries doesn't mean it can't be looked at in the USA. I don't think that's a crazy view to have. I don't really see how any countries would progress if they had to wait for other countries to sort out all their issues first.
But, to be clear, from your second paragraph you believe that black people encounter no negative biases in the USA or, if they do, it is primarily from other black people?
Not to a significant degree. Except from self-proclaimed progressives.
Though all sorts of people do experience negative biases as a result of race, etc. This is something that is generally unavoidable and should be dealt with reactively rather than preemptively.
The only people who are currently targeted with consistent & unrebuked bigotry in America right now are straight white men and women. And christians.
You say that racial biases should be dealt with reactively but I have to say from your comment history you don't come across as massively keen on reacting to it at all apart from downplaying or denying it. If you don't think a problem exists I guess you never have to react to it.
I get that the idea that straight white men are somehow a persecuted group is a common belief among people who don't think ethnic minorities have it bad (or even, as you have suggested, actually have it better than white people). I understand that it's a position you could convince yourself of if you only read certain parts of twitter or select opinion pieces from specific media outlets. But it doesn't really match up with any rigorous socioeconomic or demographic data. And, on a personal note, as a straight white male I can confidently say I have never felt discriminated against in my life although I appreciate that's purely anecdotal.
So when I say black people aren't facing a significant amount of prejudice compared to other groups you take that to mean I don't think it happens at all.
And when I remind you that prejudice against white people is far more widely accepted in America you take it as me saying they are a "persecuted group".
Sad selective logic there. I doubt someone like you could form a reasonable opinion even if you did read from a variety of sources. Which I suspect was a major case of projection on your part. You didn't even bother to try and argue, you just accused me of being misinformed without contradicting anything I said or backing up your own case lmao
You might laugh, but that exact statement is the quintessence of BLM. The movement formed in the USA because blacks often were not treated as equally important, sometimes even not important at all.
It is meant as "Black Lives Matter too" rather then "only Black Lives Matter".