If you read my article “When You Join A Fandom Late In The Game,” you know that I’m a fairly new member of the Harry Potter family. If you haven’t read my article, you should (kidding, but really), but you’ve probably seen in the news the uproar regarding Noma Dumezweni, the actress cast as adult Hermione in the new play "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child." Apparently, it matters what race Hermione is, as if that somehow changes or undermines the rest of her character traits. That’s what I don’t understand about racism in general — why does it matter what the color of someone’s skin is? They’re still a person. They still have a brain capable of thought and a heart built to love. They can still read, play sports, go to school, take naps. It’s merely a physical trait, a surface thing. So why is this casting choice all over the news?
Some fans say that in the books, Hermione was described as being a white character. If that’s the only thing that sticks out to you in the thousands and thousands of pages that J.K. Rowling penned, you might ought to read them a second time. So what if she was? It’s not the first time this has or could have happened. Lavender Brown was played by both an African-American and white actress in the films (Jennifer Smith and Jessie Cave, respectively). Michael B. Jordan played Johnny Storm, better known as the Human Torch, in the 2015 remake of Fantastic Four. In the comics, this character is blonde-haired and blue-eyed, much like actor Chris Evans, who was cast as our fiery friend originally in 2005. Mandy Patinkin played the iconic Spaniard Inigo Montoya in The Princess Bride, and, well, he’s white. It’s called having an artistic license, or taking creative liberties. It’s casting the best actor or actress for the job.
I don’t care if Hermione is black or white, or Asian or Hispanic or Hawaiian. She could have pink hair and purple spots, though that might be a little distracting. I’m lucky to be getting to see her in the play at all when I travel to London in three weeks. From what I’ve read, Dumezweni is phenomenal, and I’m betting she’ll do a bang-up job bringing our favorite bookworm to the stage. She won an Olivier, for crying out loud! They don’t hand those out to just anyone. Those are awarded to people who are talented, dedicated to their art, and bring something to their role that hasn’t been served up before. Why aren’t we more focused on who Hermione is as opposed to what she’s not?
Hermione can be anyone. She’s you. She’s your little sister, or your cousin or your best friend or your worst enemy. She’s me. We relate because I love school and reading and like to look before I leap into situations (most of the time). There’s a little bit of Hermione in all of us, no matter the color of our skin. Where is she in you?
