If Hermione Granger Was Supposed to Be Black, How Did We End Up With Emma Watson?


1
1 comment, 1 point

Alright gang. It’s time to play dumb for a few moments while we work through this. Because I’m sure many of us have seen the post from JK Rowling herself saying that Hermione Granger’s race was unspecified. She was written in the stories with wild, curly hair, which doesn’t necessarily mean that she was “supposed” to be black, but there is some wiggle room for a non-white Heromione Granger in that brief description.

We’re not going to talk about how describing black people’s hair as wild is a problem in itself, a descriptor that has many people jumping on the wagon to support black Hermione, but even still, how did we end up with Emma Watson? The whitest of the whitest whites?

Harry Potter Hits the Stage

I think it's important to start closer to the present, from the end of the 7 book series, rather than from the beginning. When we got our black Hermione Granger for a stage production of Harry Potter, people went wild. All over the internet, people were saying that Hermione Granger is supposed to be white. But even in the movies, she's not quite the person she is in the books, action-wise. Sure, she's still smart, but there are things that happen in the movies that don't line up the way they were originally written by J.K. Rowling. Some people complained. Some people did not. People are allowed to like different things. The same as a character is allowed to change as long as that change stays true to who she is.

On top of that, there has been a long history of white-washing characters who were obviously supposed to be black or people of color given the setting and time period of many films and TV shows...yet, racists had naught to say about any of that. Black Hermione is hardly the first example of racists crying foul about their beloved characters getting "black-washed", which, by the way, is not a real thing. These complaints completely ignore (nor do they often care) about the reality that there has been so very little representation of black or people of color in mainstream films. 


Being white has nothing to do with Hermione Granger's personality.

There is nothing of cultural significance attached to whiteness that was present in any of the Harry Potter books or films. Yet, when the news dropped that the Harry Potter stage production would have a black actress playing Hermione Granger, people revolted. The same reaction happened for the movie adaptation of The Cursed Child. Why? What was so important about her white skin that having a darker skinned person playing that role would've changed who she was? Have not many roles set in Africa not been played by white people which completely changes the context and cultural significance of those stories, as there is a deep and complex history attached to Africa and its people that does not translate when brought to the screen by a white face. 


Available on Kindle and in Paperback!

But... she's supposed to have wIlD cUrLy hAiR

They say it isn't racism, but what other reason could there possibly be for having such a strong reaction to having a black girl play such a popular character where even the author of the 7 book series said herself that she loves black Hermione? Is the author's support not enough for these naysayers?  

Stream Becoming Air to Support This Blog

JK Rowling as usual, adding details to already published work

I never expected this obsession with white washing to contaminate one of my favorite book series. In these arguments people say there is not a "need" to make Hermione black, as if there always has to be some sort of purpose for having a person of color onscreen, i.e. whenever a movie or TV series is about terrorism, Middle Eastern characters miraculously appear. They make it sound as if black people are being forced upon them. Is there no place for black people in a world that is actually filled with color? Should the media not reflect reality even in the midst of a complex fantasy film?


What about those random colored people in the Harry Potter movies?!

6408450-9613297675-tumbl-1.gif

You mean, that one Asian girl that Harry sort of has a crush on, the Patel twins that have no importance in the story, or Dean Thomas and other minor roles that include characters easily forgotten, rarely seen, or background characters? If you don't see the issue with any of that, then the issue is obviously you. The whitewashing of characters is a pervasive problem that denies people of color the opportunity to see positive examples of themselves on TV and in movies. White people have received plenty of representation since movies came into existence. In fact, there are so many fewer movie dedicated solely to showcasing people of color that movies that do feature black people or people of color, go into their own categories so that they can be found.

Do we not deserve intelligent, over-achieving, black witches or stories about Middle Eastern people doing something beautiful and fantastical where they are not forced into roles as terrorists? I think all people of color deserve that. 

And so, we fight for representation. We exist and deserve to be equally represented in all forms of media so that we can see ourselves the way we actually are: in all hues, in all careers, with personalities that cover every range. We deserve to be seen as human.

Get Yourself Something Special

Let me tickle your earholes!
My music and chill
Follow Must Be Undead
Keep Up With New Posts
Nightmares Night Scares Daydreams by Maple Summers ebook cover
Heeey, I heard you loved me with the lights off but I’m not some Cheshire maiden mistaken for lush beauty and kind generosity. What an atrocity to love the stars and hate the stars and galaxy and the space between your toe nails and nail polish. What an ugly shade of green. never thought you’d love to hate her you used to be whatever nice is but now you must be punished for your sins in lashings of the tongue. The bloating begins. I want chocolate ice cream chocolate syrup chocolate frappe a side of chocolate with my chocolate and a marshmallow pie. Fudge by any other name will still be fat and sweet. Welcome to nightmares, night scares, daydreams. What an ugly shade of green for snores to hide in. I’d give up sleep for Romeo if he were to climb my balcony and conqueror 15 my mind from the outside this time. Blind man, do you still lust for beauty day dazing at the yellow sun son sun of Zeus and goddesses of Earthy spirits. Here’s a hope for hoping. I’m done with wishing on falling stars. I’ll catch you once you’ve fallen.
Love sad and downright depressing poetry? Check out my book, Nightmares, Night Scares, Daydreams


Like it? Share with your friends!

1
1 comment, 1 point

One Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. So, she was white in the books. My friend has wild, unruly, curly brown hair, and she’s white. In the books, they made comments about her to confirm she was white. She got a black eye, the comment was made that she looked like half of a panda. Another scene where it was written that you could see her white face behind a tree. It goes on. That being said, there is nothing wrong with a black Hermione. Black & white are just skin colors, and it’s stupid that people have to check mark a box other than human. I think the problem was that die hard fans (of any book series) want characters that match their descriptions. My brain functions differently because when I read a character’s description, my brain immediately forgets it like it never happened & I ALWAYS picture them however I want. So I am not one of those people that care that much over what color a character is, but many people do. Is there anything wrong with a black Hermione? Hell no. All I care about is if the actress does the character justice & that has nothing to do with skin color. But, again, I just think the biggest issue was that she was white in the books, and die hard fans are almost never happy with casting.

I love it when you share.

Support the blog with a share to your favorite network.
Take me back to the content
Choose A Format
Personality quiz
Series of questions that intends to reveal something about the personality
Trivia quiz
Series of questions with right and wrong answers that intends to check knowledge
Poll
Voting to make decisions or determine opinions
Story
Formatted Text with Embeds and Visuals
List
The Classic Internet Listicles
Countdown
The Classic Internet Countdowns
Open List
Submit your own item and vote up for the best submission
Ranked List
Upvote or downvote to decide the best list item
Meme
Upload your own images to make custom memes
Video
Youtube and Vimeo Embeds
Audio
Soundcloud or Mixcloud Embeds
Image
Photo or GIF
Gif
GIF format
In order to never grow up, you must be undead.
You are a dedicated survivor. Join me in this lovely journey of self-discovery, reclaimation of childhood innocence, and general nerdy behavior by following me.
Send this to a friend
Hi, this may be interesting you: If Hermione Granger Was Supposed to Be Black, How Did We End Up With Emma Watson?! This is the link: https://www.mustbeundead.com/if-hermione-granger-was-supposed-to-be-black-how-did-we-end-up-with-emma-watson/
Welcome to the Lair.
There are nothing but undead things here. Sign up for the latest blog posts about your favorite shows, movies, books, and music and to be the first to know about our giveaways. Get theories about vampires, zombies, sirens, and other flesh-eating creatures and how they came into existence. So abandon hope, all ye who worship the living for everything must be undead. Get prepared for the apocalypse.
Your Sire requires a sacrifice.
The time has come for you to make your sacrifice.
Are you dead inside? Probably. Make your sacrifice now to get this ebook in your mailbox and we will embrace your existential dread with open arms.
Your Email
Ask The Sire
Ask The Sire
Welcome to the Lair.
There are nothing but undead things here. Sign up for the latest blog posts about your favorite shows, movies, books, and music and to be the first to know about our giveaways. Get theories about vampires, zombies, sirens, and other flesh-eating creatures and how they came into existence.
Your Sire requires a sacrifice.
Woah there! Use one of these lovely buttons to support Must Be Undead and unlock the rest of this banging post. <3
This Content Is Locked
Sign up for my newsletter to unlock the rest of this banging post and get a FREE ebook from me. <3
This Content Is Locked
Being a blogger is hard. Sharing helps make sure I can keep pumping out awesome posts. Thank you!
Share before you go!
Sign up for my newsletter to get new posts, fan fiction, and giveaways in your inbox.
Love this post?
What if Peter Pan was black? Black kids can't go to Neverland? What if Peter isn't the star of this story? In this retelling of an old classic, my "Wendy" runs the show. It's like Disney but with a lot more darkness and a lot more girl power. It's...Neverland by Maple Summers.
Have you read Neverland yet?
Kobo
Buy It Now!
The Official Fan Fiction Story Schedule
The rules are simple: the more you read and review, the more I write.
Goals to Complete
Rewards to Earn
10 Reviews of Take Me In
100 Followers on Spotify
  • Powerpuff Girls: Chapter 2: Revenge of Poo Poo Plater
  • Powerpuff Girls: Chapter 3:
  • Powerpuff Girls: Chapter 4
  • Avatar: The Last Airbender: Zutarra: Chapter 1
  • Avatar: The Last Airbender: Zutarra: Chapter 2
  • Avatar: The Last Airbender: Zutarra: Chapter 3
20 Reviews of Neverland
5,000 Spotify Streams of Becoming Air
Do you see shadows in the daylight? If not, let this poetry collection take you to a new place where dreams are not dreams and nightmares are the beginning of all things fantastical. Not only ghouls and goblins can scare you. Fear can take the shape of your favorite uncle or your father. Horror can happen in the daylight. This is what Nightmares, Night Scares, Daydreams will show you. Maple Summers’ second poetry collection will bend your way of thought with its new usage of familiar words. She will bring you to a different realm of a new reality, a place of hopes and dreams and fantastic failure. She explores more familial relations, while also talking about romantic relationships in a new way. She speaks on friendship, fear, retribution, loss, bitterness, and emotional decay. Shedding light on controversial issues and her place as an African-American minority in a white society, Summers also delves into the darkness without fear that you will see the darkness inside of her. She wishes to share that with you in a way that will bind you together. She will show you the fear of living and the fear of death and also explore self-reflection and the meaning of self-confidence. Wishing to challenge you to think of words in a new way, a noun is not always a noun, as Nelson bends the rules of grammar by riddling this poetry with a naturally free flowing hand of colorful language. And she does not leave out the sex. She takes taboo sexual issues and drags them into the light forcing you to confront things that you may not want to think about. But there are others out there suffering too. And Nelson is here to tell you that you are not alone. She speaks directly to the reader without fluffed language or nonsensical fanfare. This is Halloween where we are all dressing as someone else but all we want is to be ourselves. How do you think of Halloween? Lori Jenessa tackles the question, speaking about the holiday itself and what it represents to her. And just for ghoulish fun and witchery, she has also included fun spells that are a little more than just magic. They are flashlights of her personal insights. Let her share this journey with you. Welcome, sweet dears, to Nightmares, Night Scares, Daydreams.
Love sad and downright depressing poetry? Check out my book, Nightmares, Night Scares, Daydreams
Sign up for the newsletter for more amazing blog posts and fan fiction from your favorite stories.
Love this post?
Playing the tank drum is a spiritual thing that frees you. Its sound echoes and its vibrations heal and give you the feeling that they are soaking into you like warm water. Absorb these vibrations through your ears and feel them in your heart. I imagine that I am invoking the spirits of somebody’s ancestors. The ones who were kind, yet strong, peace-loving, but fierce and protective of others. Ones who believe in hearts and souls and the importance of being forgiving and unforgiving. Isn’t life about balance? I reach for balance with every note and beat of the drum. There are highs and lows, quick songs and slower ones. Sometimes I can’t help myself. After I get warmed up, I tend to play faster and faster, but isn’t that another reflection of the rhythm of life?

I hope that this music gives you a taste of some freedom. That it takes you out of yourself and the world and lets you float. Maybe it will be the soundtrack to your feelings of peace and relaxation, and you, like every note that lifts from the drum, will become air.
Stream Now
Nightmares Night Scares Daydreams by Maple Summers ebook cover
Heeey, I heard you loved me with the lights off but I’m not some Cheshire maiden mistaken for lush beauty and kind generosity. What an atrocity to love the stars and hate the stars and galaxy and the space between your toe nails and nail polish. What an ugly shade of green. never thought you’d love to hate her you used to be whatever nice is but now you must be punished for your sins in lashings of the tongue. The bloating begins. I want chocolate ice cream chocolate syrup chocolate frappe a side of chocolate with my chocolate and a marshmallow pie. Fudge by any other name will still be fat and sweet. Welcome to nightmares, night scares, daydreams. What an ugly shade of green for snores to hide in. I’d give up sleep for Romeo if he were to climb my balcony and conqueror 15 my mind from the outside this time. Blind man, do you still lust for beauty day dazing at the yellow sun son sun of Zeus and goddesses of Earthy spirits. Here’s a hope for hoping. I’m done with wishing on falling stars. I’ll catch you once you’ve fallen.
Love sad and downright depressing poetry? Check out my book, Nightmares, Night Scares, Daydreams
Parsippany has only ever known how to do the one thing that G'hadora has destined her for: collecting and protecting the children of G'hadora. The leader of the sea-faring potea is fighting for a lot more than golden plunder as he seeks to ruin Parsippany's every attempt to stick to her destiny as he fights to change his own. A fairy tale retelling of the Peter Pan that dances around the children who will never grow up as they join in an immortal struggle on a far away world.
For lovers of Peter Pan and Children Of Blood and Bone.