Actor Paapa Essiedu received what many would call the role of a lifetime when he was cast in the new Harry Potter television series. But his casting quickly triggered a torrent of racist abuse and death threats online, with some voices arguing that a Black actor should not portray a character originally written as white. The backlash underscores the persistence of racially motivated harassment in entertainment and the intensifying toxicity that greets diverse casting decisions — even as studios and audiences increasingly embrace broader representation on screen.
Walter Murrow
March 23, 2026
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