kotakucom:

History often seems lightyears away, doesn’t it? Even game franchises like Civilization—where you zip from ancient Rome to space flight in the span of hours—put a layer of abstraction over the experience that make it feel distant. The Assassin’s Creed games use history exceedingly well, but none of them have felt as personal as Assassin’s Creed Liberation does. As a black man and parent of a bi-racial daughter, this game hits home for me. But what really surprised me is how this portable Assassin’s Creed game comments on racial dynamics in a specific moment in time. You can feel history moving through the game.

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As I tweeted not too long ago, my son acted a complete and utter fool an hour ago, and I was forced to pick him up from school. The actual school pick-uppage wasn’t the frustrating thing (even though I have to miss a seminar), but the fact that he came across to his teachers and peers as a kid who would try to misbehave so that he wouldn’t have to be at school.

Of course, I had to do my parently duty, and spank my child. Afterwards, my rather inquisitive child asked me a question:

“Daddy, why are you so upset?” To him, I replied, “Because you misbehaved.” Being an inquisitive child, of course he asked another question: “You weren’t that mad when I misbehaved at home before. Why because I misbehaved at school?”

This is when the tears started with me, and I was left trying to explain to my son what can and will happen when he goes to grade school next year.

“Son, you aren’t bad. You are a very good boy. But when you go to school, all it takes is you misbehaving once for your teachers and friends to think you are bad. And once they think you are bad, then its hard to get them to believe you are good.”

What I really wanted to tell him is that since he is a young African-American male, he is going to make sure that he is always on his best behavior, since there are a lot of people that are going to want to make him out to be a threat, or dumb or a menace. As much as the world changes, many things stay the same. I was accused of stealing my own car by five white police officers. My high school guidance counselor told me I should be a plumber. My 7th grade math teacher kicked a black student in the ass the day of the OJ Simpson Verdict. A 17 year old young man was gunned down because he wanted a pack of skittles and an iced tea.

All situations because of misconceptions and unfortunate perceptions that he was going to be introduced to that he may still be naive about when he is already exposed to it.

Too young to tell him things like that? I’d disagree. My mom had to deal with the same things when I was heading to kindergarten because they thought I wasn’t “fit” to be in a gifted and talented program.

I cried when I told him everything, and he smiled and told me he’d be good from here on out. I hope it means I told him the right things that would at least allow him to maintain his innocence for a little while longer, but understand what he has to do. Think about it as opposite-day Santa Claus.

Im prepared to support my son, but I’m so scared for the future.