For diverse crossword lovers, this new book release will provide clues primarily from Black culture.
Its inception was sparked by a Black woman who frequently found herself unable to relate to other crossword themes. Juliana Pache’s desire to play a game that spoke to her cultural norms and phrases led her to create blackcrossword.com in January 2023.
The platform allows fellow Black crossword enthusiasts to play with familiar clues. The site’s motto even includes “If you know, you know.”
She told ABC News that the site boasts around 2,200 daily visitors. However, her new book, “Black Crossword: 100 Mini Puzzles Celebrating the African Diaspora,” takes the games up a notch. Released on Aug. 20, the book contains multitudes of puzzles that once drove Black people to her original website.
While “making it with Black people in mind,” the puzzles contain abundant Black cultural references. However, they also remain “challenging” like the comparable The New York Times version.
“I also want to make it challenging, not just for people who might be interested in Black culture, but people within Black culture who might be interested in other regions,” said Pache. “Part of my mission with this is to highlight Black people from all over, Black culture from all over. And I think … that keeps us learning about each other.”
She added, “And then, if anyone else enjoys it, they learn things from it; that’s a bonus, but it’s not my focus.”
Pache is not the only one who has called out the Times’ not-so-inclusive crossword. The criticism even pushed the platform to boost representation for its fan-favorite game. In the meantime, however, Pache is putting the power into her own hands, becoming the game master where Black history and culture are the standard.
Avid players can purchase “Black Crossword: 100 Mini Puzzles Celebrating the African Diaspora” from various retailers.