Introduction to Blamify

At Play Black Wall Street we are passionate about the intersection of Black Studies and Gamification. While we are certainly not the only gaming company to uplift the legacy of the African Diaspora or the lived experiences of African Americans I understand the power of a shared language to help construct reality.

Artists and writers were using the concepts of Afrofuturism far before Mark Dery decided to coin the word. Scholars around the world were placing the African experience at the center of their studies before Dr. Molefi Asante coined the word Afrocentricity. Scholars and humans more generally appreciate clear definitions and categories. In order to bring more awareness and potential customers to the gaming niche that focuses on Black History I have manifested the words Blamify and Blamification.

What does Blamify Mean?

Blamify describes the process of amplifying the concepts and curriculum of Black Studies through Gamification. In recent years we have seen wins and losses in the field of Black Studies. A huge win was the implementation of Ethnic Studies as a High School Graduation Requirement in California, a Graduation Requirement for students enrolled in one of the 23 California State University Campuses, and the launch of the AP African American Studies courses across the nation. These three events will surely increase access to Black Studies Curriculum in some environments.

We have also seen losses with the Black Studies books and impactful literature being banned from schools in certain parts of the nation. As schools become more restricting the home will become once again the primary place of education, especially for parents wanted to teach African Centered Curriculum. With this generation turning more and more to digital sources like social media and video games, games become a clear source for influence. By amplifying the Black Studies Curriculum through Gamification we will increase its dispersion into the consciousness of the next generation.

Foundational Concepts

The concept of Blamification was not created in a vacuum. In my time as a scholar and game designer, I have been inspired by 5 Foundational Concepts to form the concept of Blamification.

First and foremost I am inspired by Black Studies, also known as Africana Studies or African American Studies. Black Studies is an interdisciplinary academic field that examines the history, culture, politics, and experiences of people of African descent. It was born out of the civil rights movements and Black Power movements of the 1960s. Some notable contributors to the field would be WEB Dubois, Nathan Hare, Dr. Molefi Asante, and Angela Davis to name a few.

Next is the concept of Afrocentricity. Coined by Dr. Molefi Kete Asante in the 1980s, Afrocentricity is a theoretical framework that places people of African descent at the center of historical and cultural narratives. It challenges Eurocentric views and emphasizes African perspectives in both the past and present. It is essential to experience Black Studies through an Afrocentric Framework. Too often in their lessons or studies the only time K-12 scholars see Black bodies are in times of oppression like the Transatlantic Slave Trade or the struggle of the Civil Rights era, while these are important historic accounts they are often told from the perspective of the oppressor.

Moving to the future of the Afircan Diaspora I am largely inspired by the concept of Afrofuturism. Coined by Mark Dery in his 1993 essay Black to the Future, Afrofuturism explores the intersection of African Diaspora culture, technology, and speculative fiction. It reimagines the future through the lens of Black experiences, often blending science fiction, fantasy, and history. Most scholars critique Mark Dery because as a non-Black academic he got credit for naming the work that had been done by Black and African scholars for decades prior. Nonetheless his categorization of the genre and concept, in my opinion, has helped to give notoriety to well deserved creators. Contributors to the Afrofuturism genre would be writer Octavia Butler, lyrical and visual artist Sun Ra, author Ytasha Womack, and academic and visual artist Dr. John Jennings to name a few.

I want to set Blamification as a subset of Afrofuturism which is a wider umbrella term that can cover Visual Art, Literature, Animation, Fashion, architecture, Gaming, and so much more. Blamfiication focuses on the gaming subset of Afrofuturism.

Moving into the gaming side of my inspiration, Blamification would not exist without Game Theory. Game Theory is a mathematical framework for strategizing in competitive situations, where the outcome depends on the actions of multiple agents. The foundation of the work comes from John von Neumann and Oskar Morgenstern Co-authors of "Theory of Games and Economic Behavior" written in 1944. Game theory is widely applied in economics, psychology, and strategic decision-making.Blamification can focus on the ability to gamify economic and sociopychological behaviours of the Afircan Diaspora for it’s own collective benefit.

While I consider Blamification a subset of Afrofuturism it can also be categorized as a subset of the broader concept of Gamification. Gamification is the application of game-design elements and game principles (such as point scoring, leaderboards, and competition) in non-game contexts to increase engagement, motivation, and learning.

As you can see the concepts of Blamification and Blamify stand on a strong cross disciplinary foundation and can be utilized in several ways. While the reach and scope of Blamification are broad their elements and intentions are clear.

3 Core Elements of Blamification

1. Intention to amplify topic(s) in the Black Studies Curriculum

• Intention to bring awareness to a Black Studies concept
• Intention to bring awareness to contemporary African Diaspora culture or experiences
• The intention to imagine the African Diaspora in the future

• The use of Gamification elements and mechanics to create physical games
• The use of Gamification elements and mechanics to create digital games

Academic Timeline

1960s: Black Studies is formalized in universities, with significant programs established following the San Francisco State University protests.

1980s: Dr. Molefi Asante coins Afrocentricity, calling for African perspectives to take the forefront in scholarly work.

1993: Mark Dery coins Afrofuturism, defining a movement that uses speculative fiction to envision new Black futures.

2000s: Gamification gains widespread recognition as a tool for education, blending game mechanics with learning environments.

2024: De’Von Truvel coins Blamify and Blamification in an effort to amplify the work of game designs intentionally highlighting concepts of Black Studies or experiences of the African Diaspora

Introductory Case Study: Black Wall Street the Board Game

We look forward to reviewing more games that fall into the genre but for now we can provide an example through our experience with creating Black Wall Street the Board Game. All editions of the game have been rooted in the history and legacy of Tulsa’s Black Wall Street. The game was created after researching the topic of Black Wall Street and reviewing literature like “Black Wall Street from Riot to Renaissance in Tulsa's Historic Greenwood District” by Dr. Hannibal B. Johnson.

The game introduces players to real businesses from Tulsa’s Black Wall Street, true historic events, and concepts of business development all through game play.
Since launching the game I have had the pleasure of leading educational experiences that use the game as a central curricular tool. Today with Black Wall Street at the center we are able to offer game nights, workshops, field trips, and mentorship programs. This is a core piece of Blamification. In its most powerful form it will be able to be both entertaining and educational in a way that allows for seamless infusion to the culture of education.

Blamification is about using the engaging elements of gamification to amplify the curriculum components of Black Studies. This can involve games that uplift the legacy of Black Wall Street or other powerful historic communities, shed light on the under-appreciated Black Inventors, or gamify the learning of learning African Diasporic languages. The field is open to endless innovation and illumination.

What’s Next?

Next our team will go into literature review to build a stronger case for the concepts of Blamification and Blamify. We will review research on the effectiveness of Culturally relevant pedagogy and Black Studies in schools. We will research the power of applying elements of gamification on group behavior. In addition to our research we want to create a comprehensive list of games that would fall under the Blamify Category.

If you know of a game that falls in this category please click the link to provide the information. Our goal is to get in contact with these game designers to study and refine the concept of Blamification. In the future, we look forward to hosting events, workshops, and even incubators for people interested in developing games within the Blamify category. We want to make Black Studies and learning Black History fun.

With your help, the revolution will be gamified.

Submit Games and Animated Content Here 

Sources

1. Asante, Molefi Kete.Afrocentricity: The Theory of Social Change*. Chicago: African American Images, 1980.

2. Karenga, Maulana. Introduction to Black Studies. Los Angeles: University of Sankore Press, 1993.

3. Dery, Mark. Black to the Future: Interviews with Samuel R. Delany, Greg Tate, and Tricia Rose. 1993.

4. Womack, Ytasha L. Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture. Chicago: Lawrence Hill Books, 2013.

5. McGonigal, Jane. Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World. New York: Penguin Press, 2011.

6. von Neumann, John, and Oskar Morgenstern.Theory of Games and Economic Behavior. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1944.

7. Ladson-Billings, Gloria. The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1994.