With the USA's Independence Day this weekend, Fortnite is celebrating the holiday in a unique way. In light of current racial tension that has been afflicting the country, the game will be hosting Opus United's anti-racism presentation We The People.
Game companies have been trying to do their part to fight for racial equality in the current political climate. Many games such as Apex Legends and Destiny 2 have displayed messages supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, and the company Valve has promised to sponsor the Game Devs of Color Expo. Fortnite is taking its own steps to bring awareness of this issue to those in the game's community.
We The People is an anti-racism presentation hosted by the news commentator Van Jones. The presentation brings many prominent BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) voices from industries such as business, sports, media, music, and entertainment. On camera, these individuals come together to discuss race's impact on America and advance these conversations. Guests on this presentation include people like Jemele Hill, a sports journalist for The Atlanic, and rapper Killer Mike. The panel will be talking about systemic racism in their industries and how to change that culture.
Fortnite is hosting the presentation as a part of their Party Royale mode, which is centered around staging live events and promotions for the community. The viewing started at 8:46 am CT, which is an allusion to the 8 minutes and 46 minutes that former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was filmed pressing his knee into the neck of George Floyd. This action resulted in Floyd's death, and his death started the anti-racism protests that have been going on all across the world. The presentation will be repeated every other hour for 24 hours after the first showing on Fortnite's platform.
While many online are celebrating the United States of America online today, there are many facets to the nation. Some of these aspects can be praised, but not all its qualities are admirable. In order to improve a nation, the people who live there need to engage these conversations and change as information comes to the public eye. There is still more that needs to me down to promote racial inclusivity in gaming, the US, and the rest of the world.
Fortnite is currently available to play now on Mobile, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One, with PS5 and Xbox Series X versions also in development.