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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/31624
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/31624
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

I had the same dilemma recently with one of my older stories (i.e. 6-7 years old), which is in need of redrafting. One of the supporting characters, a black woman, dies halfway through; this is a pivotal moment in the plot, as it drives the (white male) protagonist to make a decision that drives the rest of the story.

I considered swapping some of the characters' races around, but the conclusion I've come to - and my answer to your question - is that it's perfectly fine as long as:

1. The character's death has some importance to the plot, and isn't just a case of "I added this minority character purely for the sake of diversity, and now I don't know what to do with them, so I guess I'll just kill them off"
2. You're not perpetuating any stereotypes. As Arcanist Lupus noted in his answer, Black Dude Dies First is considered quite problematic. If I understand what you wrote, there are two characters who die in your screenplay; in this case, you can easily avert Black Dude Dies First by having the black character die second (which is also what I did in my story).

I'd also like to note that if this character is the only black person in your story, and you change them to be white, there are those who would consider that _even worse_.

Original score: 9