It’s just tough to figure out the diversity question - whether in our pop culture or in our literature or our business world (not to mention my own legal industry).
If diversity is a value to us as a society, we have to make an effort to make it valuable. If diversity’s not a value, then… it’s not. (as the right wing might suggest that it’s not, and maybe I’m making obvious my politics there in saying that, because I whole-heartily support that diversity IS a big value in a country as diverse as the USA).
But, that’s tied to who’s in control, in some ways, isn’t it? We might say we have a free market, but as a reader who’s a person of color, I freely admit that I don’t read much at all of protagonists of color. I’d have to ask myself why? Is it because of what limited access I have to books with protagonists or even authors of color, or because of what’s available in the market, or what’s promoted in the market, or what? I don’t think there are easy answers.
npr:
An NPR audience poll to select the 100 best young adult books coughed up 75,000 voters and just two books with non-white protagonists. Even a winning writer complained. Kill the judges? No, the enemy is us. Book editors ask for a solution.
via When A Popular List Of 100 ‘Best-Ever’ Teen Books Is The ‘Whitest Ever’ : NPR Ombudsman
Photo: iStockphoto.com
