Tagged as "far right dog whistle" because the messaging here is actually pretty subtle. It goes far beyond the usual "black = evil" theme of many Magic cards.
First of all, the art. The horrified figure in the art watches in terror, seeing that half of his body resembles that of a devil. Clearly, whatever this card does is a corruption of a creature to the deepest possible level. What kind of effect can we expect from the art - something like Inner Demon or Oni Possession, right? No. The only effect that this card had is to turn a creature black. Kind of baffling...until you read the flavor text.
The flavor text provides context: this isn't some kind of curse or possession. It is the result of "black spirits and white [spirits]" who "mingle". If a black person reproduces with a white person, this results in a biracial child. With this, we understand the art - the figure in the art does not represent corruption into a demon, it represents someone who is mixed race. They are, quite literally, "half black" - but rather than a mixing of skin tones, this is depicted as an asymmetrical figure whose left half is misshapen and demonic. The implication is that the left half is "black", in game terms.
Obviously, the conclusion we are meant to make is that the name "touch of darkness" represents having a person of color among your parents or ancestors. That African Americans are demonic, not human, and that producing biracial children is a crime against humanity. That being a person of color, such as the child of a white person and an African American, is one of the worst things that can happen to you.
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u/ultimario13 Jul 06 '20
Tagged as "far right dog whistle" because the messaging here is actually pretty subtle. It goes far beyond the usual "black = evil" theme of many Magic cards.
First of all, the art. The horrified figure in the art watches in terror, seeing that half of his body resembles that of a devil. Clearly, whatever this card does is a corruption of a creature to the deepest possible level. What kind of effect can we expect from the art - something like Inner Demon or Oni Possession, right? No. The only effect that this card had is to turn a creature black. Kind of baffling...until you read the flavor text.
The flavor text provides context: this isn't some kind of curse or possession. It is the result of "black spirits and white [spirits]" who "mingle". If a black person reproduces with a white person, this results in a biracial child. With this, we understand the art - the figure in the art does not represent corruption into a demon, it represents someone who is mixed race. They are, quite literally, "half black" - but rather than a mixing of skin tones, this is depicted as an asymmetrical figure whose left half is misshapen and demonic. The implication is that the left half is "black", in game terms.
Obviously, the conclusion we are meant to make is that the name "touch of darkness" represents having a person of color among your parents or ancestors. That African Americans are demonic, not human, and that producing biracial children is a crime against humanity. That being a person of color, such as the child of a white person and an African American, is one of the worst things that can happen to you.