The wizarding world of Harry Potter is not really known for being explicitly diverse. Although author JK Rowling has later released information about the books, like Dumbledore being gay to introduce inclusion in the series, such things are not really shown or even alluded to in the film series.
She seems to be trying on correcting this with the Fantastic Beast prequel series. In the first film, we are introduced to the Magical Congress of the United States, the governing body of the magical community in the said nation. It is headed by President Seraphina Picquery (Carmen Ejogo) a black woman, and in a pivotal scene, we see the leadership of congress and it is racially diverse with most ethnicities present. Some of the main characters Tina (Catherine Waterston) and Queenie Goldstein (Alison Sudol) with Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler) are also of Jewish descent.
For the sequel, she is introducing another woman of color, Professor Eulalie "Lally" Hicks, a teacher at Ilvemorny the American Hogwarts. She will be played by Jessica Williams of Netlfix's The Incredible Jessica James.
Williams posted a video with Rowling on her Instagram account announcing her character's entry in the Potterverse.
Rowling has clarified that Lally may not be getting a big role in the second film Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, but she will be playing an important part in the as-of-yet unnamed third movie.
On Twitter, the author wrote "You only see a HINT of Lally in Fantastic Beasts 2. Her true glory is revealed in FB3."
You only see a HINT of Lally in Fantastic Beasts 2. Her true glory is revealed in FB3. https://t.co/8vyhdlU71m
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 22, 2018
Fantastic Beast: The Crimes of Grindelwald is set to premier on November 16, 2018.
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