A Martin Luther King exhibit has been added to Fortnite and people aren’t too sure about it
March Through Time. (Epic)
Epic has created a Martin Luther King exhibit in Fortnite.Ā
The move is, at least, well-intentioned and aims to teach players about racial injustice and the legacy of Dr. King. The exhibit has been created with TIME magazine.
āCelebrate the life and work of Nobel Peace Prize recipient Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in a new interactive experience presented by TIME Studios,ā Epic announced.Ā
āDeveloped by members of the community in Fortnite Creative, March Through Time immerses players in the entirety of Dr. Kingās monumental āI Have A Dreamā speech and the history surrounding it.ā
Celebrate the work of Dr. King in March Through Time presented by @TIME, an interactive experience by @Chasejackman1, @GQuanoe, @XWDFr, and @YU7A_16 in @FNCreate
Explore a reimagined DC, listen to Dr. Kingās historic speech and more.https://t.co/FWs9BPWk31 pic.twitter.com/tmPhFnP6wL
— Fortnite (@FortniteGame) August 26, 2021
The March Through Time interactive museum includes extracts from Dr. Kingās historic speech, as well as landmarks and minigames to reflect 1963’s Washington DC during the Civil Rights Movementās March.
Says Epic: āThese activities progress players through the experience and bring to life important themes of Dr. Kingās speech: we move forward when we work together.ā
With the huge reach and mass appeal of Fortnite, this exhibit will undoubtedly introduce the work of Dr. King to a wide audience.
At the same time, the juxtaposition of racial injustice with all the cartoon characters and dabbing Fortnite is known for seems a little bit incongruous.
Entering the exhibit, Dr. Kingās speech begins to play as players land by the Lincoln Memorial. āEvery person in this world has a light, a voice they can raise to make change,ā reads the welcome instructions.
Around the Reflecting Pool leading to the Washington Monument are quotes from the speech. At the centre is a virtual gallery with iconic photographs of the civil rights movement.
There are also minigames like four-player races and a platforming challenge āto reach the heights of justiceā, as well as a quiz and a lightboard for those who complete all the puzzles.
Taking part also nets players a D.C. 63 spray item. Then when youāre done, you can jump straight back into matches to headshot other players.
The museum is a moving tribute thatās somewhat undermined by the likes of Superman, Xenomorphs and a whole herd of Ariana Grandes collectively running around.Ā
Yet itās also undoubtedly a thoroughly modern and accessible way of learning about history.
The reaction online has, understandably, been mixed. Some have been positive about the potential of the museum.
Wow good on @FortniteGame for this. Teach the children https://t.co/THXbQiSKc6— iamBrandon šµšø š³ļøāš (@iamBrandonTV) August 26, 2021
https://twitter.com/its_menieb/status/1430895118295334920?s=20
Respect to Epic for this!
Go give it a watch if you got time, the speech is great. And checkout MLK's documentaries if you can! https://t.co/ddCeSYmw12— HYPEX (@HYPEX) August 26, 2021
But others pointed out that itās also a little bizarre.
This isnt real #PS4sharehttps://t.co/4biMrnZ98W pic.twitter.com/KOjwoinHaI— Mlick (@Mlickles) August 26, 2021
https://twitter.com/Zlanier21/status/1430928405403512833?s=20
PlayStation: āPutting MLK in Fortnite is a good idea!ā
MLK: pic.twitter.com/SJonJiODK9
— Josiah Johnson (@KingJosiah54) August 26, 2021
MLK in Fortnite because corporate America thinks Black Liberation is a GAME pic.twitter.com/CbGWKYo0YE— www.baddie5000.com (@baddie_5000) August 26, 2021
What do you think about the museum? Feel free to drop us a line!
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