Minecraft Brings Black Lives Matter Into a Children’s Game
Minecraft updated its Education Edition with free, downloadable content that places its players inside a simulated Black Lives Matter protest, prompting backlash from critics who argue the game is linking historical struggles against segregation to modern leftist activism.
The DLC, titled “Lessons in Good Trouble,” is designed to have students “walk with civil rights leaders” through a guided, story-driven experience. Promoted with the John Lewis-inspired slogan “Make Good Trouble,” players encounter figures such as Nelson Mandela, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Rosa Parks alongside civil rights history lessons.
According to a Minecraft Education blog post, the lesson structure begins in contemporary America, where players are introduced to a “peaceful Black Lives Matter protest.” After visiting moments from civil rights history, including the Greensboro lunch counter sit-ins and encounters with figures such as Malala Yousafzai and Mahatma Gandhi, the experience concludes at “Black Lives Matter Plaza.” There, John Lewis asks players to reflect and “become a catalyst for ‘good trouble’ in their own communities.”
Critics argue that incorporating Black Lives Matter into a children’s game is ideological grooming, given the movement’s anti-police messaging and leftist activism. One critic who played “Lessons in Good Trouble” claims, “[I]t’s just genuine propaganda.” By beginning in the “modern day” at a BLM protest, the critic argues, past civil rights events are utilized to frame contemporary BLM activism as “good trouble.” Another critic of the Minecraft DLC puts it plainly: “I’ve been under the assumption that Minecraft was a thing people played for escapist reasons, looking to forget the burdens of this world by forging their own one in a crazy fantasy world.”
One supporter says the backlash is overblown, arguing, “This is for Education and for teachers to use in class to make learning fun.” The supporter also insisted, “[T]his is just history, this isn’t the ‘woke agenda.’”
This controversy lands as Mojang Studios and Microsoft announce a new “Minecraft Safety Council” aimed at regulating speech and behavior in-game. The council includes “industry experts” who “discuss Player Safety best practices, exchange insights, and look at new approaches” for the game, with the aim “to foster safer and thriving multiplayer experiences.”
Similar concerns have surfaced around other youth-focused games, including Roblox, where child safety advocate Ryan Montgomery warned that grooming networks such as the “764” group operate through in-game systems and that user-created experiences include detailed reenactments of real-world political violence.
Minecraft’s player base is made up of more than 212 million monthly active players, with roughly 43 percent between the ages of 15 and 21 and another 20.6 percent under the age of 15. Minecraft, a game overwhelmingly played by minors, is increasingly positioning itself as a vehicle for delivering left-wing messaging to the youth.
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