— Amistad Books (@AmistadBooks) June 14, 2020 On Twitter and other social media, several notable Black writers including Roxane Gay, Mikki Kendall, and Ibram X. Kendi have reposted the above image, which reads: “black publishing power. To demonstrate our power and clout in the publishing industry, Sunday, June 14–Saturday, June 20, we are encouraging you to purchase any two books by Black writers. Our goal is to Blackout bestseller lists with Black voices.” When the hashtag #PublishingPaidMe went viral on Twitter last week, the public saw firsthand the discrimination that Black writers face when it comes to their book advances. This racial disparity was exposed as Black authors urged white authors to list the advances they received for their debut books. The results showed that white authors, some with no prior writing experience, frequently receive bigger advances than Black writers. Last week’s The New York Times Nonfiction Best Seller list was almost entirely Black authors, as readers look for resources on anti-racism. Need suggestions? Celebrate Pride and amplify Black voices with these queer YA books and audiobooks by queer Black authors. For the kiddos, pick up a couple of Black children’s books or middle grade reads. This must-read list of books on racism contains several titles by Black writers. You can also preorder these upcoming books by Black authors.
