Representation is key.

Representation = validation, visibility, and identification. People who believe that it is not needed, that changes the skin color of a fictional character or assigning a previously white role to a non-white character are for "shock value" are clearly represented extremely in media. They don't understand what it's like to not see themselves in the proverbial mirror that is media. 

I'm so upset that one of my favorite artists for years hate the idea that I can be a hero, that characters that look like me are nothing more than cheap ploys for attention and don't REALLY matter to men, women, and children like me. It's really heartbreaking to find out that my opinion, my reflection is just a gimmick to them.