![]() ![]() ![]() When institutions double down on this exclusion, it becomes a subtle, but pervasive kind of racism. My experiences watching TV and reading books is that the perspective of Black people has been callously denied or suppressed. A lack of representation in film, literature, and other media only exacerbates my feelings of self-loathing, restlessness, blame, and isolation. ![]() And when we don’t react, we’re not human enough, not educated enough, or worse, we’re hiding something.īeing Black in the United States of America is akin to living in a perpetual state of PTSD. Newsflash: we don’t! Reacting often gets us arrested, beaten, or killed. Well, my face hurts.īlack people (and Black characters) are expected to react to situations the way White people do. ![]() I’m usually braced for the worst in people, all while trying to keep that stiff upper lip and smile. Even as I write this essay, I’m bristling-worried about readers’ reactions to this post. But what parts and into which character and why… therein, folks, is the Big Idea.Īs a Black woman I carry my own unique baggage. Jackson is not different in her novel Forging a Nightmare. Authors often put a little bit of themselves into their characters. ![]()
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