Popular board game cleared from preschools - considered politically incorrect

After a discussion about a board game with an African theme in the Finnish city of Turku, the authorities have decided to withdraw all copies from the city’s preschools. The reason is that it is claimed to present an outdated image of Africa. The game is also commonly found in Sweden.

The game in question is Afrikan tähti (African Star), which has stirred emotions in Turku. According to deputy mayor Piia Elo, the issue was discussed with the city’s director of education this week, and it was decided to collect the games with the aim of offering children material that better corresponds to the “modern world”.

“There is no reason for us to have such versions in daycare that maintain a worldview that we do not want to uphold,” Elo told Ilta-Sanomat.

It is unclear whether the game will be replaced with a renewed version or if it will be permanently removed from Turku’s preschools. However, Elo makes it clear that they do not support institutional racism and that the world is changing, something they must keep up with.

Furthermore, it is stated that Finland needs to create a multicultural society where everyone feels they belong and value their own background.

“It is difficult to discuss racism constructively. Measures must be taken so that Finnish society is no longer as racist as it is at the moment,” Elo said.

The board game has previously caused controversy. At a student event a few years ago, participants dressed up as characters from the game, which was claimed to depict racist and colonialist stereotypes from Africa’s colonial era.

Created by a 19-year-old

Afrikan tähti was created by 19-year-old Kari Mannerla, and two years after the game was designed, it was released on the market in 1951.

The game has sold more than 3.5 million copies, and almost every Finnish household has a copy.

The objective is to explore Africa starting from either Cairo or Tangier and try to find gemstones, with the main goal of finding the giant diamond, the African Star.

In Sweden, the game is sold under the name The Disappearing Diamond.