Jennifer Baker’s essay (see below) about the erasure of Black women in the publishing industry is unfortunately a very familiar story. As a published writer and literary activist for over 40 years, I have witnessed scores of Black women trapped…
The push for the telling of the real American story continues. I was heartened when I read this news in The Washington Post about a major foundation’s support for a truthful version of American history: The Mellon Foundation has awarded…
Many of my novels have been set in my hometown of Washington DC. One of my most satisfying days was the unveiling of a cultural plaque on Harvard Street where I grew up. The plaque has a quote from my…
In 1992 I visited Turkey as a Visiting Writer accompanying the photographic exhibit of Black women notables published by Brian Lanker, I Dream A World. I spent ten days traveling in Turkey meeting scholars, writers, and cultural activists. The photo…
Marie Brown was one of the first African American editors at a major publishing house. She was my editor at Doubleday Books and got me a contract for my first book Migrations of the Heart. But Marie was also a…
