Community Spotlight: Yamazonia and the Black Mafia

Yesterday we announced a month-long feature of streamers from Black Mafia, an all-Black community of World of Warcraft players led by the inspiring Yamazonia. Today we are excited to bring you this spotlight on Yamazonia, the Black Mafia community, and the work she does to make World of Warcraft a safer and more inclusive space.

The month-long feature of Black Mafia is part of our celebration of Black History Month, but we want to emphasize that it is important to uplift and support the Black community every day, not only during February. The same can be said for all marginalized groups, because Representation Matters!

Read on to learn more about Yamazonia and the Black Mafia…and pay attention! She is an incredible woman working hard to address real issues facing the World of Warcraft and gaming communities.

Table of Contents

“No hero was coming to make it easier for me. Nothing was going to change until I wanted it to so I decided I was going to be the one to speak for the others.”

Q-1: Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with us today. First, we’d like to get to know you a little better. Can you tell us a little more about yourself and your background with Warcraft?

Yamazonia: Hello! I was born and raised in the U.S., moving around often when I was younger and settling on the east coast. My uncle was playing WoW in one of my earliest memories. He’s expressed his passion for the game in various forms which piqued my interest. Uncle Wayne bought me my first computer to play on and I’ve been engaged since then; a little over fifteen years. The Paladin is home base for me although I’ve delved into all classes and specializations at one point or another. Sending my enemies off to find the light in any PVP setting is where I’ve spent most of my time although I’ve gotten into Mythic raiding and Mythic+ a few years back. I do it all. Outside of WoW, I weight lift and have been working on building and empowering my community. I’m heavily into anime, other video games, and have been broadening my skills in cooking.



Q-2: We heard a rumour that you’re a multi-gladiator PVPer, a High-Key Pusher, and a Mythic Raider…all while using an Xbox controller? How do you do it?

Yamazonia: Shhhhhh, don’t tell anybody this, but I click too. Well, at least I did before I found the comfort in leaning back in my chair with my feet up. My XBOX controller paired easily and helped to relieve some pressure off my back because of the poor posture I had sitting upright in a chair. I still use mouse and keyboard on my healing classes although I did time a +22 on my Hpal back in Shadowlands on a controller. Getting Gladiator is no easy feat, but I’d get it on my death knight, then I’d swap to a rogue, then my mage, priest, shaman, warrior, etc. Most times, I’d take the lowest performing class and spec of that season and push the leaderboards with that because I strongly dislike the gatekeeping meta mentality. Any class/spec combo can be great if the player is and I had to let everybody know that I am She. It’s all about self-awareness. The better I got at positioning, interrupting, understanding my rotation, and communicating, the easier it was to climb in any bracket. I’m more into PVE now but I can still clear the dust off an enemy’s shoulder in any rated PVP setting.

“Never close doors to those in need and never speak ill of one another. Others will surely do that for us and it’s on Black Mafia’s shoulders to lock hands in those moments and repel those who want to tear us down.”

Q-3: Tell us about why you decided to create Black Mafia. What experiences led to you realizing this was needed?

Yamazonia: I’ve never been one to stick around in guilds for too long as I always felt like a majority of the spaces weren’t for me. Hopping in Ventrilo (Discord now) and skimming through the trade chat seeing garbage takes on Black and PoC, religions, cultural differences, and members of the LGBTQ community. A lot of those conversations were filled with all types of hate and bigotry. I never spoke up in those spaces, if I spoke at all, because I did not want to be targeted being afraid that if I breathed wrong, they would know that I was a woman, and a Black woman at that. Living through these experiences, I kept my head down as I only wanted to play the game and the higher I climbed the leaderboards, the stronger those prejudices were. I dropped the fear I developed over the years and stopped hiding what I looked like and raised my voice. Started getting bullied in game and out, kicked from guilds, muted in discord, sent hateful messages in game, mostly out of it, racist pictures and memes were made about me, death wished upon my son – all the above. It never stopped. It dawned on me when I looked in the mirror one night and realized right then and there that Black Mafia was needed. No hero was coming to make it easier for me. Nothing was going to change until I wanted it to so I decided I was going to be the one to speak for the others. I made a safe space and it has remained that.

“Everyone brings something to the table. Some people are forks, knives, spoons, napkins and cups while others are table mats, plates, bowls, and chairs. Point being; We enforce standards, not preferences and it’s the small details that create the bigger picture.”

Q-4: You’ve mentioned that Black Mafia is so much more than just a guild, and you’ve created a whole community. We’d love to know more about this!

Yamazonia: Black Mafia takes pride in taking our sense of community outside of the game. We give what we can to those in need in the immediate community and those in our surrounding neighborhoods. It’s imperative that we hold each other up and speak life and grace into ourselves. We take pride in our well-being and mental health. We speak freely and do have disagreements, debates, and differing opinions like any other healthy community but we ensure we never put each other down. Never close doors to those in need and never speak ill of one another. Others will surely do that for us and it’s on Black Mafia’s shoulders to lock hands in those moments and repel those who want to tear us down. Everyone’s opinion matters, and everyone has a say in how the community moves and what we put energy into. We connect to the same interests, values and we will always push ourselves forward.



Q-5: What do you view as the pillars of your community, and why? How do you work to maintain them?

Yamazonia: The major pillar of Black Mafia is our common vision. Many members who have reached out to me prior to joining have all said the same thing, “I thought I was the only Black person who plays WoW.” We always have a good laugh at thinking we’re alone on this iceberg. They join, take in the others and rejoice over seeing familiar faces with common experiences and ideologies. Black Mafia speaks for itself when sharing where we see ourselves in the future. Shared responsibility comes as a strong second. We nurture and maintain the inner values we were founded with and everyone carries their weight. There are a lot of things that we are not and that’s the same. Everyone brings something to the table. Some people are forks, knives, spoons, napkins and cups while others are table mats, plates, bowls, and chairs. Point being; We enforce standards, not preferences and it’s the small details that create the bigger picture.

“I truly hope the top teams are content in keeping our seats warm. Preparation for that is putting the right pieces on the chessboard and prioritizing that how we move individually is how we move as a team, and how we move as a team is how we will knock over the King.”

Q-6: What kind of goals do you have for your guild, both in and out of game?

Yamazonia: Our primary goal in game is to be one of, if not, the top team in WoW. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that we will achieve the objectives we have set for ourselves. There’s a few things we’re dying to ask for and some things we’d like to see but we do have to garner respect and prove that we actually play this game and that we’re great at the handle. Yes, we are Black, but being Black is not a handicap. We’re strong as we are. We are competitors that will knock the table over. Our goals outside the game are to stretch everything that we’re bringing to WoW into other gaming communities. To pave the way for ourselves and newer generations to ensure they keep their hope, joy and to look forward to the future of gaming in which they see themselves as being more than just fodder for main characters. We’re tenacious about our goals, but flexible in our methods.



Q-7: You tweeted that Black Mafia will be going for ALL of the world titles - what does the preparation for that look like, and how will you be working to achieve that goal?



Yamazonia: We absolutely will be going for ALL of the world titles and we will win them. There’s a lot of doubt and rigor in the air but be wary, we’ll sneak up on you. Maybe sooner, maybe later, but we are on our way. I truly hope the top teams are content in keeping our seats warm. Preparation for that is putting the right pieces on the chessboard and prioritizing that how we move individually is how we move as a team and how we move as a team is how we will knock over the King.

“The best thing for others outside of our community to do is to actively and publicly condemn racism, bigotry, hate, misogyny, and to stand up to those who speak negatively about us and not just when Black trauma is trending…Support comes in many forms but not allowing those who hate openly and loudly to thrive in the community is the greatest course of action.”

Q-8: If Black members of the Warcraft community were interested in joining Black Mafia, what should they know and who should they contact?

Yamazonia: If Black members of the Warcraft community were interested in joining, they can reach me on my Twitch Channel while I’m streaming, on my personal Twitter, which is my primary WoW platform, or the Black Mafia Twitter page!





Q-9: How can others outside of your community best support you?

Yamazonia: The best thing for others outside of our community to do is to actively and publicly condemn racism, bigotry, hate, misogyny, and to stand up to those who speak negatively about us and not just when Black trauma is trending. We’re constantly being muted, overshadowed, invalidated and reduced to negative stereotypes. Getting to know who we are and formulating your own opinions on us is a great way to start. Support comes in many forms but not allowing those who hate openly and loudly to thrive in the community is the greatest course of action.

“I’m always looking in the mirror at the one who knows me better and I adjust according to my needs, adhere to my intuition, and remind myself that I need to stand in the discomfort of growth instead of retreating to what isn’t good for me.”

Q-10: Can you tell us about some of the lessons you’ve learned in your gaming career that you try to teach to other members of your community?

Yamazonia: One of the major things I speak on heavily is self-awareness. Are you really as good as you think you are? Was it really the healer’s fault? Did you miss an interrupt? Did you pop a defensive? Many times I’ll watch videos sent to me to see people with terrible positioning, not using their interrupt/stun/cc, sighting their healer; mostly people who aren’t even aware of their entire toolkit on the class. I then look at their avoidable damage taken logs and I start side eyeing hard! I always ask valid questions when people start to complain and try to help them realize that most times, they are the problem and once that realization comes, they’re more mindful of how they conduct themselves in competitive settings because hitting that “Release Spirit” is so embarrassing. Other than that, I instill confidence into them. Encouraging them to speak up, to stand up for themselves. I remind them that Warcraft is only a game at the end of the day and you can’t be scared to make mistakes. You won’t be any better than yesterday if you don’t keep trying and there’s an ignore list for a reason.



Q-11: Who are some of the key figures in your community that have helped you build it up and support you?

Yamazonia: I’d love to give a shoutout to Knawledge! She was the first member of Black Mafia and we’ve been attached at the hip since! Knawledge provides powerful insight to Black Mafia and her valor is unmatched. Mistress Minty for giving the community the confidence to unapologetically be themselves. Reminding us daily to be happy, to laugh, to find joy where there shouldn’t be and to not tip the crowns we hold high. I surely cannot forget my latest champion, Ferris! Ferris shows the community that those dreams and aspirations can be achieved. She has a lot of people who look up to her and provides nothing short of excellence. These ladies are a collaboration of everything that Black Mafia currently is and they tip the scales when the options are weighed. I know their worth and then I add tax.



Q-12: What’s an early WoW memory that you have?

Yamazonia: I remember when I first started playing Warcraft in my younger years. I was a super noob and there weren't any tooltips if I’m remembering correctly. So I made a fire, frost and arcane mage. 3 entire mages that I leveled up because I didn’t know we could swap specs. It dawned on me and I sat there for a good hour thinking about how much else I didn’t know. My uncle laughs at me to this day about it.



Q-13: As someone who kicks butt not only in-game, but also outside and in the gym, how do you strike a healthy balance between WoW and real life?

Yamazonia: The best way for me to balance my interests is to write out my goals and mark my progress when I meet milestones. I need to visualize my goals for my brain to actively pursue them and I do things that my future self will thank me for. I’m always looking in the mirror at the one who knows me better and I adjust according to my needs, adhere to my intuition, and remind myself that I need to stand in the discomfort of growth instead of retreating to what isn’t good for me. So by sticking to my workout schedule, picking better food options when I grocery shop, cutting unhealthy relationships off - Doing all things to hike my focus to tunnel in WoW cause when I turn my desktop on and sit down, it’s over for any other tasks for the day!





Q-14: What advice can you share to anyone looking to find or create their own community in WoW?

Yamazonia: Find out what your non-negotiables are and never falter when it comes to them. Hypothetically, you are strongly against the colors red, blue, and green. You join a community that has the color red actively showing, you leave. You join another alliance that speaks the color blue, you leave. Give another league a chance to see they grow green items, you remove yourself. If you must break down your character to make yourself more palatable to them, it’s not the space for you. Starting your own community, it’s imperative you set boundaries and abide by them. Post your rules and regulations and never be afraid to drop people for violating them no matter what they bring to the table. People will show you who they are the first time and it’s on you to believe them.



We asked Yamazonia to create a Playlist of her favourite hype songs to listen to while playing WoW, so have a listen!

---

Links

• NEW: Raider.IO Recruitment System
  
• Set up Raider.IO Stream Widgets
  
• Set up Raider.IO Discord Alerts
  
• Download the Raider.IO Client
  
• Support Raider.IO on Patreon