Wizards of the Coast officially concluded selling a special Secret Lair for Magic The Gathering. But unlike other limited sets, the sales for this one went to a good cause, resulting in about one million dollars going to a charitable cause.
The Secret Lair was called Black is Magic. The set was meant to be a celebration of the stories, cultures, and achievements found in different expressions of Black identity. It also featured art by the likes of Ernanda Souza, Ejiwa 'Edge' Ebenebe, and Thomas Zentano among many others. The cards in the set included two of the game's iconic Black Planeswalkers, Teferi, The Hero of Dominaria, and the Ghost Assassin Kaya. The set was on sale between February to the end of March, and officially earned $946,625.
All proceeds will be going to the organization Black Girls CODE, a group dedicated to to empowering and promoting women of color in the fields of game design, digital art, game development, as well as multiple miscellaneous STEM fields. It aims to guide women of color between the ages of seven to seventeen into these fields through exposure to computer science and technology.
Wizards of the Coast were pleased with how the Secret Lair sold and were passionate supporters of the cause. The SVP of Magic, Bill Rose, stated, "we highly value inclusivity and believe that our company and our games are made better by including diverse perspectives." Rose continued, "We hope that our support will assist Black Girls CODE in their mission to increase the number of women in color in the game design and technology industries."
It's a platform that Black Girls CODE continues in earnest even now. In addition to holding multiple charity events and a solid social media presence, the organization continues to educate and promote with functions like the #CODETheSummer, a virtual STEM-focused summer camp where students learn about iOS app development, game development, and even robotics. Either way, this was a fantastic success for both the future of technology and helping give Black voices and talent a platform.
