Much has been said about the placement of books by African American writers in the bookstores, and I like a large segment of writers am against segregation of our books. As an avid reader, I love books and choose authors based on their talents, not the color of their skin. For years African Americans who loved the romance genre had no choice but to read white authors. The fact that the author was white didn’t take away from the enjoyment of the book. What it did, however, was to make me long to read and see books that represented the rest of America. By this I mean the America that I know, not the negative images that are splashed across the television screen on the evening news. I wanted to see educated, law abiding, loving couples of all races in print and on the same shelves. Just as we have been introduced to white authors in the romance, mystery, and other sections of the bookstore, we as writers want the same opportunity to be introduced to that same buying market. And for those who say white women won’t read our books, many do and others want to, unfortunately they don’t realize that we’re not in the romance section, but in the African American.
I’m fed up! What about you?
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What really gets me is not only the segregation of AA books, but the fact that our books are always located right in the front by the counter. I don’t lnpw about anyone else but that sends one message to me, I am sure we all know what that is. The only store I have found that integrates AA bools is Border’s.
by Sharyn
on January 9th, 2007 at 6:40 am
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That’s interesting because Borders here, segregates, but the AA books are not up front. It makes you wonder whether the store manager makes the placement decisions.
by Giselle
on January 26th, 2007 at 7:53 pm
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Hi Giselle,
I know where you are coming from in this blog. One of my favorite bookstores, Books A Million does have African American Books in a section in front of the store. Barnes and Noble have them mixed in but there are only a few titles to be found and only the big named authors in my experience. Although I frequent both for different reasons. I can find an upside as well as a downside to this delima. I kinda like being able to go to my “section” and browse around but I do get your point.
by Tosha
on August 28th, 2007 at 2:30 pm
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Hi Giselle
Like you I am avid reader and I read books for enjoyment. I read romance books whether the authors are black or white. If I come across a book that interest me I buy it and read it. I use to work at our main library and the romance books segregate. At each branch library they labels our African American as Black Interest and labels the romance books written by white authors romanc historial romantic suspense. So it’s just not the bookstores that are segregate it is libraries in the city where I live, (Baton Rouge Louisiana)
by theirdre
on May 30th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
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Hi Giselle
Like you I am avid reader and I read books for enjoyment. I read romance books whether the authors are black or white. If I come across a book that interest me I buy it and read it.
by theirdre
on May 30th, 2008 at 11:34 pm
