In a white-washed world, black authors have to push the boundaries of acceptance to gain acknowledgement for our kind of love. We will highlight the necessities for continued black romance stories in a society in which politics and the media are a driving force of misrepresentation in literature. It’s important in today’s society for there to be constant, positive images that portray black love, not just black struggle. Black love in romance has been deconstructed for years in the sense that while our stories are out there, they are not always publicized in a positive light. The indie route is giving a fresh and commanding voice to the black love that we’ve embodied for centuries, while those writing mainstream are further fighting the ongoing battle for inclusion.
We hope to create evangelists for black love through literature and realize that while our individual voices are important, collectively, we could make a bigger difference. We’re re-writing and strengthening the black love narrative, while providing a new lens to view romance. Ours is a story that needs to be told and in this discussion, several African American authors will raise awareness by addressing the trials and tribulations of writing while black.