by Bernette Sherman
I am coming to the end of editing my next book and I recognize it is an important story in Black history. However before I publish it I want it to be clear that I am an author who happens to be Black and female. We never look at White authors and expect them to only write for White audiences. We shouldn’t look at Black authors and expect us to only write for Black audiences. Or women to only write for women. It’s ridiculous. If you review my titles you’ll see that I write across genres.
We aren’t limited by our race or gender for what we write or who we write for. When you have a compelling story, it doesn’t matter what skin your in. Tell it. My other books have diverse characters because that’s the world I live in. People look, act, and think differently.
Diversity in Arts and Writing is Important
Still…there is a need for diversity in writing because knowing something from experience is different than understanding something from observation. Both experience and understanding are relevant and helpful, one–experience, goes deeper.
In this latest book I go deep into the heart of a man living in slavery. As you’ll see when you read it, I explore his losses, hopes, pain, dreams, and the legacy he left. This is the story that needs to be told and I’ve been blessed to tell it. I don’t know that anyone else could.
I am his great-great-great-granddaughter and I am telling The Story of Ervin James. Coming 2021. This story will be published independently through my new company Mount Hope Media (I’ve done 5 fiction books before this), because though our stories matter, the publishing industry has struggle to recognize it.
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