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If I never, ever, ever have to hear "where are the Black [insert demographic] writers?" again it still won't be soon enough.
I want to push that question off a cliff into a river of lava. Everyone, Black folks included, really need to think HARD before asking it.
I want to push that question off a cliff into a river of lava. Everyone, Black folks included, really need to think HARD before asking it.
Actually, you know what. I got time today! I usually don't because I try to mind my business but this topic gets in my damn craw.
When I say Black folks, I very much mean by and large Black men. There's a particular type of Black male SFF writer that does this too.
When I say Black folks, I very much mean by and large Black men. There's a particular type of Black male SFF writer that does this too.
They beat their chests about how horrible the industry is (and yea, we know it ain't great) and construct this majorly flawed narrative that makes the publishing industry like that opening scene from Terminator 2.
All the Black SFF writers are getting mowed down by the machine of the publishing industry and they're somehow John fucking Connor coming to save us all by pointing out the vast inequities that we all need to fight against. And they alone have the skill set to lead us forward.
Don't you DARE try to point out to them the amount of Black writers (especially Black women) who are already doing the work in the industry. Babyeee, they will shout you down!
"It ain't enough!"
"Why aren't Black people on their covers!"
"They're watering down their story!"
"It ain't enough!"
"Why aren't Black people on their covers!"
"They're watering down their story!"
And to be frank again, this type of writer usually comes from indie spaces. I have my theory as to why. Those spaces allow for an extreme cultivation of us vs. them and it manifests itself in the worst ways.
I've been in a few Black indie SFF spaces ran by dudes and yikes!
I've been in a few Black indie SFF spaces ran by dudes and yikes!
I've witnessed rampant unchallenged homophobia, sexism, anti-blackness (yea I know...), misogynoir and most people brave enough to even offer a rebuttal to those things are ran off.
And more insidiously, there's a framing of Black writers who pursue trad paths as sellouts.
And more insidiously, there's a framing of Black writers who pursue trad paths as sellouts.
So whenever one of those dudes comes into a trad space saying "where are all the Black folks at?" I see it a mile away. It's obvious they don't even know the industry or the Black folks working HARD AF in it.
I witnessed a dude go on a RANT about Fifth Season being bad because a Black person wasn't on the cover. Can you imagine the gall it takes to say THAT? Yes, we can have the convo about needing more Black folks on covers. But to call the work bad??? I had to bounce lol.
This ain't an attack on indie writers AT ALL. Because the Black women working in those spaces have almost always been absolutely phenomenal people with phenomenal work.
But alot of the dudes in those spaces have some messed up ideologies that they refuse to challenge and they then interpret those ideologies in their work being rejected as white publishing being against Black writing as a whole. No, it's just you love.
And honestly, this is just me being annoyed. I don't see that shit changing. It's depressing the amount of talented Black writers in those spaces that get dissuaded from pursuing paths that frankly *might* be more lucrative for them.
I also know that I'm far from the first to make these critiques and I've seen them get absolutely NOWHERE. It's hard to penetrate through mentalities that allow people to excuse their lack of putting in the work.
I had time though and today I just didn't feel like sugarcoating.
I had time though and today I just didn't feel like sugarcoating.
