Cartoon Network released the last of the Steven Universe anti-racism PSAs.
Previous "The Crystal Gems Say Be Anti-Racist" PSAs, directed by Steven Universe creator Rebecca Sugar and OK K.O.'s Ian Jones-Quartey, featured Garnet discussing the importance of acknowledging racism, Pearl emphasizing the need for deeper historical education and Amethyst dismantling the idea of "colorblindness." The latest Steven Universe PSA, titled "Be An Ally," has Steven's dad Greg Universe discussing the importance of allyship.
The clip starts with Greg recording a "Guitar Dad" guitar tutorial when suddenly he's interrupted by the Crystal Gems, who are having doubts about their role in these anti-racism PSAs. As Pearl puts it, "We're not human, so who are we to speak for human people of color?" Greg responds, "Yeah, you can't do that, but you can speak for yourselves. You're allies!"
Greg explains the concept of being an ally, stating, "Anyone can be anti-racist. It can't only be up to marginalized people to speak out. That would be totally unfair!" In response to the Gems' fears that they might make people uncomfortable and that the subject matter is irrelevant to them, Greg says, "I used to think racism wasn't my problem because it wasn't hurting me, but every time I didn't fight it, I let systemic racism continue, and sure, talking about this stuff means you might mess up, but you can learn and you can care!"
The Gems' doubts extend to whether or not they'll actually be effective, to which Greg emphasizes this is one small part of solving racism. "Maybe these shorts won't make a difference, but allies can," he states. Garnet looks into her future vision, and sees "many futures where systems change." The short ends with the Gems deciding to turn this "Guitar Dad" video into a PSA on allyship.
As the last of the four announced "The Crystal Gems Say Be Anti-Racist" PSAs, this may be the last new official Steven Universe animated content for the foreseeable future. No further installments in the series have been announced as of this writing.
Steven Universe ran for five seasons on Cartoon Network. Following the end of the series in January 2019, a television film titled Steven Universe: The Movie was released in September 2019. A limited series, Steven Universe Future, concluded in March 2020.
Source: YouTube
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