I want to open this article by saying hi there! I'm white. I'm the textbook definition of "White Girl" with my family hailing from the UK and the Netherlands. I get sunburned through my office window. I am as white as they come. So now that's established:
John Boyega is right about racist Star Wars fans.
Via Entertainment Weekly, Boyega discussed his experience being cast as Finn in the sequel era and the immediate backlash for being a black man existing in a fake space movie. He said, "Lemme tell ya, Star Wars always had the vibe of being in the most whitest, elite space. It's a franchise that's so white that a Black person existing in it was something." He then added, "They're okay with us playing the best friend, but once we touch their heroes, once we lead, once we trailblaze, it's like, 'Oh my God, it's just a bit too much! They're pandering!'"
And he's right. It's actually tiring the amount of articles we've had to write on this site about these kinds of so-called "fans" attacking other fans or actors in the franchise.
If his words bother you, consider why. Because it's a fact that he was targeted by racist fans. It is a fact that this happened to Kelly Marie Tran. It is a fact that this happened to Moses Ingram. It is a fact that this happened to Amandla Stenberg. You could even go further back with the blatant blackface with Gormaanda in The Star Wars Holiday Special that there has always been racism built into Star Wars.
And yes, I've seen the "arguments" about how "Lando was a main character!" Perhaps they should do more research before speaking, because Billy Dee Williams has talked before about the harassment he faced from "fans" after The Empire Strikes Back. He stated in his memoir about backlash towards Lando Calrissian, saying, "It was laughable until it wasn’t—until I sensed a Black-White thing might be brewing. That’s when I took a step back, put up my hands, and told people to wait a minute before they criticized me any further." People came up to Williams at his daughter's school playground, which is not normal behavior.
This has always been an issue in fandom.
If you are more upset about John Boyega speaking out about his experiences with racism than the fact a human being was under attack by so-called Star Wars fans just because he existed as a black man in a fake movie set in space with wizards who do fake space magic, think about why that upsets you. Why do you have such little empathy for another human being? Why do you have such little care for people who went through painful experiences?
If what John Boyega said upset you, then you are the problem.