What if Harry Potter Were Black or Gay?

This post, written by Malena Amusa, originally appeared on Race Wire

One my favorite mental exercises is wondering how things would be different if say Black people had enslaved whites or women dominated men.

My friends often chide me because I've stretched this what-if-racial and gender paradigm to almost every facet of my personal life, arguing things like: my landlord wouldn't be such a pain if I were a white man and not a Black woman. Because clearly he thinks I can't fight back, you know, legally and strategically.

So it didn't surprise some of my friends when I called them up this week in a frenzy of conspiracy. The calls went like this:

"Oh, did you know the new Harry Potter movie is out and people lined up across the country to see its release at midnight," I said.

"I know!"

"See, I'm convinced though, that this Harry Potter craze is just us pandering to white culture. I know the movies are good and the books are page turners, but come one, if Harry Potter were Black, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"You're probably right."

I called three friends on Wednesday, the day the movie Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix opened in theaters. I talked with all women. Here are their responses.

My good friend Dianna who doesn't miss a Potter movie or book said: "I love Harry Potter. I'd even date him." And this is the woman who's only dated men of color.

My friend Sheeba, a sociologist, said: "I was never interested in Potter. I like to stick to the real world."

Bukola, a marketing analyst and Anime fan, really got me thinking. She said: "But what if Harry Potter were gay too?"

"Then movie wouldn't be shown in theaters," I said.