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Today in the U.S. is Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday. For those of you outside of the US, Martin Luther King was a Christian minister who led the fight for the civil rights of Black Americans in the 1960s. Besides this movement winning such rights as the right for blacks to dine in the same section of a restaurant as white people, it would eventually lead to the wide recognition of African American and other minority science fiction and fantasy writers.
Even though Dr. King’s leadership in the civil rights movement brought many opportunities to blacks and other Americans of colour, the demand for civil rights still goes on because, unfortunately, racism and bigotry still continue in many of our country’s institutions. This is also the case in science fiction and fantasy culture. As much as writers of colour have become recognized by publishers of speculative fiction such as TOR in the last 10 years or so, there are still groups of white fans and creators trying to reverse the progress.
We can help weaken the schemes of such bigots by reading books by authors of colour as well as ones by other traditionally marginalized demographics such as Latinos, Asians, the disabled and LGBT+s. Better yet, when you buy books by them, they receive the royalties which helps them stay and even become more established in the speculative fiction publishing industry. Some notable science fiction and fantasy authors of marginalized populations have been Samuel R. Delaney, Octavia Butler, Victor LaValle, and Charlie Jane Anders.
So, we as readers of science fiction, horror and other types of fantasy can help continue the demand for civil rights of the marginalized by reading and purchasing books written by them in these genres.
Will you support the ongoing inclusion of minority speculative fiction authors by purchasing and reading their books?
Until next time. . .
Too bad more don't submit to Dancing Lemur Press. We do represent a wide variety of cultures and countries though.
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