This is a photo of me and my then five-year-old son Michael at a party celebrating the publication of my first book Migrations of the Heart. That was forty years ago. Check out the Migrations of the Heart cake. I…
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…
