Have you ever done a crossword and thought, “Boy – this crossword just isn’t focused enough on race”? No, us neither – but apparently Juliana Pache did. She thought crosswords were so racist, in fact, that she made her only black-only version.
Woke Mania: Black-Only Crossword Puzzles
In a world where the Woke brigade never tires of finding fault with everything, 32-year-old Juliana Pache has introduced a black-only crossword puzzle website. Blackcrossword.com was launched in January 2023, offering daily mini-puzzles that spotlight Black culture and history. Apparently, mainstream crossword puzzles are too biased for her taste. And mainstream news outlets can’t stop covering her.
Pache recounted her inspiration, claiming she struggled with a crossword puzzle that didn’t include references she found familiar. Rather than pick up a history book or do a bit more learning, she decided it was time for a whole new crossword experience. One that was more focused on…race.
“I had never made a crossword puzzle before,” Pache said. “But I was like, I can figure it out.”
The Book and The Mission
As if the website was not enough, Pache has also released a book titled “Black Crossword: 100 Mini Puzzles Celebrating the African Diaspora.” Once again, the mainstream media is busy showering her efforts with praise—because nothing says woke like focusing exclusively on one group to highlight inclusivity.
Pache aims to include at least three Black cultural references per puzzle. Her goal, as she states, is to create content that Black people would enjoy and to highlight the diversity within Black communities and cultures.
So apparently “Black jobs” is offensive but “Black cultural references” isn’t? Ok…
Spotlight on Diversity in Crosswords
Pache’s efforts draw on a broader conversation about representation in crossword puzzles. This debate touches on who constructs these puzzles and how inclusive the clues and answers are. Imagine honestly believing something as benign as crosswords needs to become a battleground for cultural sensitivity. There are people doing exactly that, though.
Data journalist Michelle Pera-McGhee’s 2020 project brought to light the gender and racial disparities in crossword puzzle references. With several initiatives underway, makers are now offering fellowships for underrepresented puzzle constructors and creating puzzles for varied communities.
It’s “interesting because it’s supposed to be easy,” Pera-McGhee said. “You want … ideally to reference things that people, everybody knows about because everyone learns about them in school or whatever. … What are the things that we decide we all should know?”
In today’s world, where everything allegedly has an inherent bias, crosswords were bound to become the next target. Weren’t they? As for Pache, her ostensibly …noble… mission continues to carve out niches and build walls. Blackcrossword.com and her accompanying book are just more examples of how the liberal mindset tends to fixate on color in the name of diversity.
In the grand scheme of things, this initiative might become another footnote in the ever-expanding book of Woke culture. Maybe one day we’ll return to simply enjoying puzzles, without needing a magnifying glass for implied biases and hidden meanings. And when we can’t find the answers, we pick up a history book and educate ourselves…
