We've got a great writer to start this series off - the incredible, generous, and supremely warm-hearted Debra McKellan, someone I've known for years through Agent Query Connect.
Take it away Debra :)
I will:
1) actively write, edit, and revise to challenge stereotypes that
may be present in my writing;
2) actively work against the normalization of a single
identity;
3) actively work towards the normalization of diversity.
SC Author started this pact for diversity in books, which you can
follow on Twitter under the Hashtag #WriteInclusively. If you’ve noticed on my
blog, the emblem above is the symbol for this pledge: A white flag with a gray
circle. The blue rose icon is just something I use in signatures, but it’s also
from one of my favorite screenplays “The Glass Menagerie.”
By the time I graduated college I'd had many instances of
uncomfortable racial prejudice from both black and white people, but before
that I grew up fully believing in equality for all. I’m not a big fan of
culture shocks, so I still have trouble handling and understanding the deeply
ingrained stereotypes of people of different races.
Racial hatred occurs not only because of those still ignorantly
passing down their hatred from generation-to-generation (my cousin is a teacher,
and a little girl told him she doesn’t like him because he’s black. I don’t think he
teaches any higher than the 2nd grade), but because it’s been thrown in
our faces as early as Antebellum America. Look up “Stereotypes of African Americans” on Wikipedia, and you’ll get part of a couple of things I learned
during a couple of my history classes in college.
What's on your television? My mom just recently stopped watching
Hallmark because she realized they never feature any black actors as the main
character. God bless "Law & Order: SVU" and their 2 million episodes, because
that might just be the most diverse show on TV today. Black reality shows are: "Love & Hip-Hop," "R&B Divas," "Real Housewives of Atlanta," etc., shows that
glorify the most hood of black people who seem to reduce themselves to fights
and cursing people out on an episodic basis. Rap & Hip-hip videos portray
“gangsta” lifestyles that millions like to emulate but wouldn't actually last a
minute living in.
Society has been trained to look at the “others” (black people in
this instance) as interesting and entertaining people, but not valuable human beings (athletes, actors, comedians, musicians). So when injustices happen
to black people, there is a huge apathy. When I say this, I'm focusing on the
Eric Garner incident, because a cop who was supposed to uphold the law BROKE
the law (and apparently Eric was selling loose cigarettes, but two negatives
don’t…you know) which resulted in Garner’s death. And it was recorded. And the
coroner ruled it a homicide. And there was still no indictment. And a barrage
of people blame Garner.
When people get mad because a protest ruined their Christmas Tree
Lighting experience, or they’re threatening to shoot protesters if they can't
make an Eagles game, or the first thing they say is about a victim of an
unlawful police death, “Well, what did the person do?” the love or compassion
for someone else's humanity can’t possibly be there.
So how does this relate to writing inclusively? Back to my mention
of Birth of A Nation. Fear is created because people take what
they're given at face value and walk away believing it's true. Leave your boxes
and GET TO KNOW PEOPLE. Walk into a bookstore and head on over to the
"African-American Literature" (I wrote a post about that issue, too,
don't remember when) and pick up a book that you find intriguing. Then,
actually, pick up one that has totally different content by a different A.A.
author. And keep doing that. Because black people are also diverse.
As a writer, if you really want to know how someone of another
culture speaks, acts, lives, don't just place a person in your story molded
by what you think you know. LEARN. Good example, Neil
Gaiman's Anansi
Boys. Fat Charlie is a black
man from England, Spider is his brother from California, if I recall. You don't
see Gaiman perpetrating black men. You see Fat Charlie and Spider. I imagine
Gaiman took time to learn about black cultures (because there are more than
one), and he did it brilliantly. It can be done. Write inclusively. Write
diversity, and be real about it.
I have been a writer for most of my life. I've been a GOOD writer for much, much shorter, but that's neither here nor there. My first story was for a class project where they gave the class a blank book. I wrote about my older sister. My next story was based on the X-Men cartoons because they were popular at the time.
I love fantasies, superheroes, a little sci-fi (I'm a trekkie and a brown coat!). I love television. I live for Final Fantasy video games. I have most of them. I've read a myriad of authors from Arthur Miller to Christopher Pike. My favorites are currently George R.R. Martin, Robert Olen Butler, and the late Octavia Butler.
Follow her Twitter and blog!
Thank you so much for sharing!!!! It's a great post with a HUGE message: diversity within diversity exists and is true. People of color have differing ideas on their own identity as well, something that is sadly overlooked much too often.
Again, THANK YOU!!
If you would like to guest blog, please send me an email.
On Monday, Bronwyn Deaver has a simply incredible post on "Why I Write Inclusively as a White Woman." Make sure to check it out! As I am also writing a book from the first person perspective of a character of another race, her post spoke volumes to me.
How would you like diversity to be seen in literature?
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Thanks so much, SC. <3
ReplyDeleteAwesome, Debra! Really important to point out the diversity of diversity!
ReplyDeleteI have lived all across the USA and in several foreign countries. People are people to me. Sad that racism still exists on all sides.
ReplyDeleteSo glad to support this!
ReplyDelete