Racism in the Tolkien fandom
I recently reblogged this post about anti-racism and got this reply from a user named folksol:
If anyone doesn’t think there’s racism in this fandom, here’s your wake-up call.
This person not only believes that the majority of my followers are far right, they also believe that I - despite clearly loathing the far right - should cater to their horrific ideology. This is some peak white racist delusion right here. I laughed out loud. I’m still laughing at the phrasing of it. “Excuse me.” Oh, are you clutching your pearls? Are you upset because I reblogged an anti-racist post on my own blog during a worldwide uprising against racism? “We, your followers” - as if this person is my constituent to whom I am somehow beholden. I guess they didn’t read my about page, which clearly tells white supremacists they are not welcome here.
In case anyone thinks folksol is trolling, I’m sad to say they’re not. Unfortunately, for those who are unaware, there is a long history of the far right trying to claim Tolkien for themselves the same way that the Nazis tried to claim Norse mythology and Viking symbols. And this is not a one time occurence on this blog. I’ve also received messages from other white supremacists who are upset that I’m talking about racial justice and think my blog is for them. While the far right is by no means a majority of the Tolkien fandom, some of them are obviously here. Which means it’s our job to kick them out.
I’m not sure why I should need to explain this to anyone, but Tolkien hated the Nazis and he hated apartheid. If you are a member of the far right or similar groups he would have hated you too. It’s laughably uninformed for the far right to act like Tolkien is “theirs.” He hated you pieces of shit! So do I! And I’d venture a guess that so do the majority of my followers.
Of course, Tolkien’s opposition to Nazism and apartheid doesn’t absolve him of holding internalized racist beliefs. It’s important for white people to recognize that racism exists on a spectrum. On one extreme we have people like the Nazis and the KKK, who overtly support racism. But white people who repudiate these groups can still hold racist views. (For more information, here’s Tolkien Gateway’s article Racism in Tolkien’s Works, and Our Failure to Address LOTR’s Racism written by @weirdnaturalscience.) The post I linked to at the top has resources for examining your own biases.
When discussing racism in Tolkien’s works, or racism in fandom, it’s important for white people to have an open mind, not get defensive, and to listen to people of color. No one is saying you can’t be a fan of Tolkien, only that Tolkien’s opposition to the Nazis didn’t stop him from incorporating some worrying tropes in his writing. It’s possible to incorporate racist ideas in writing without intending to do so.
I also want to say that when we kick the far right out of the fandom, we can’t consider the job done. Because it’s not just the far right. If we have people in fandom who overtly support racism, then we also have people in fandom on other parts of that racist spectrum. In fandom spaces Black people and other people of color are frequently harassed, trolled, and excluded, and often white fans refuse to believe or listen to their experiences of racism.
Let’s do better, Tolkien fans! We need to listen to and include fans of color and educate ourselves about internalized racism so that fandom can be an enjoyable place for everyone. (Everyone except the far right.)
