Okay, so we’ve covered the importance of diversity. Now let’s flip the topic on its head and talk about the thin line of “exclusion.”
When I’m speaking on behalf of The Brown Bookshelf I don’t believe I’m excluding my white counterparts. 9 times out of 10 I’m merely trying to get our names and books mentioned along with everyone else’s.
However, because I travel in a variety of kid lit circles and have writer friends of all racial and ethnic backgrounds, I often feel like I’m constantly waving the race flag even as I’m saying – I just want my books to be seen as teen books not exclusively black teen books.
Can an author have it both ways?
Can a brown author both wave the flag bringing attention to the fact that they’re a brown author and that of “it’s just a teen/PB/MG book?”
Or is that double dipping?
The day that more books by brown authors are simply “a book,” is that success?
I realize, this part of the discussion has even less of a solid answer than Part 1. But I welcome all healthy discussion.
The only way for a Black man to successfully run for president was just as a man running for president. Yet now, race is more a topic of discussion than ever.
I think so. I always find it interesting that all the other art forms easily translate – like music and dance, but there has always been this gap with literature. Good writing is Good Writing.
Been out of town and just returned — you bring up some very good questions and discussion. Thinking about them… and I really don’t have answers but these are points I ponder myself…