i don’t think it’s taken lightly this was something that actually happened (the racism against black people) i think it’s not that bad if mentioning it in a bl or whatever the manhwa category is since it’s something historical i think the writer did the part where black people were working just as a part of how life was like back in this timeline not in a racist way (sorry for my terrible English)
anything's possible, so maybe this creator will turn out to have done their research and not be insensitive or ignorant, but I'm already skeptical due to the choice of character backgrounds. like of all the kinds of people and stories you could tell about this time period in this place, why are these the ones chosen? what's the appeal of their dynamic? why choose this setting and time period for that? if the creator hasn't done their due diligence, those questions will have very unflattering answers.
as it stands, it looks like a very deliberate choice to write around the existence of Black people who lived during that time even though their presence is integral to the livelihoods of the MCs. maybe the author thought they'd avoid the backlash they're now getting by doing that, but that's still an expression of racism, by ignoring that Black people are also people who want their stories and experiences told and treated with respect. and if the author didn't want to include Black people, which they're ultimately not obligated to do, they would have been better off choosing another topic and setting to write about, because like it or not, when writing about American history, you'll have to grapple with the racial dynamics of this country one way or another, to say nothing of the civil war era (even postwar) where the crux of the conflict was "what are we going to do with Black people (are they even people?)". to then make the only Black people in the story be faceless mobs seemingly only with the intention of making the white MC look good and ethical, just rubs salt in that wound. if the author wanted an interracial cowboy romance with this particular dynamic, they had other options for time and setting (and not to mention that those power and racial dynamics are present in other times as well).
every choice a creator makes in their story reflects their knowledge and interests, which are not free from bias. intentional or not, I see a lot of opportunity for missteps here.
I liked these threads for more background info - https://x.com/SPLover1863/status/2069382347972063697
https://x.com/SPLover1863/status/2069512321475465603

I don’t really get what yall are arguing about? I think back then there was racism against black people it’s smth historical i don’t understand why a lot are mad about this or did i get it wrong? (sorry for my terrible english i just want to understand)