I hate to break it to you, but you’re probably not reading enough books by authors from diverse backgrounds. Or maybe you’re not reading books written by authors who look, think, and are treated differently than you. Does that sound like you?
Unfortunately, Our Society Centers Whiteness
In the U.S., we live in a society run largely by old white (European immigrant) men. They center themselves in history, in the government, while making policies, and in media. In popular media, descendants of European immigrants are centered, their standards of beauty are preferred, and their stories are platformed. Meanwhile, BIPOC & LGBTQIA2S+ stories, experiences, and people are sidelined and systematically marginalized.
We’ve seen rampant racism, sexism, and transphobia become prevalent since that trash can took up residency in the Oval Office. Him and his goons make policies that benefit mostly themselves. At the same time, the majority of BIPOC, women, LGBTQIA2S+, and disabled folks suffer under the same policies. The treatment of these systematically marginalized groups trickles out to workplace policies, school policies, and everyday life.
So, no, I am not surprised if you rarely read a book not written by a descendant of European immigrants. In fact, books written by white people were largely pushed on me in grade school. I was in Honors/AP English from 2003 to 2008. Out of the many books assigned to me, only 2 books were written by Black authors. One was a book written by a Sudanese boy who survived a civil war. The other was “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston. The only books we read on the Black experience was about their pain, not joy, triumph, resistance, or celebration.
Book Club Improved My Reading Habits
The truth is, I was one of those readers who did not read enough books by diverse authors. In college, I studied Psychology, and most of the books I read were written by white men and women. I saw the flaw in everything they wrote. The way they spoke about “others”, they way they centered themselves, the way the excluded everyone else. I had enough of not feeling seen in books.
Eventually, in 2018, I joined the cutest book club ever hosted by a fellow poet and friend. It was exclusively for WOC (women of color) and the only rule was to read books by WOC. When it was my turn to choose a book to read, I felt shame. I didn’t know many WOC authors besides the authors we already read. And I didn’t find much help online, either.
This is where the work for marketing books by BIPOC authors began. I saw a gap, and I wanted to fill it. I won’t get into how the book publishing industry also marginalizes BIPOC authors. That’s a whole other blog post. However, data shows BIPOC authors get less marketing dollars. They also receive smaller book deals. This is why many book content creators pride themselves on promoting BIPOC and LGBTQIA2S+ authors, because corporations fail those authors.
Let’s be better than we were yesterday and work towards diversifying our shelves. I’ve put together a step-by-step guide on how you can start diversifying your shelves.
Step by Step Guide for Incorporating Diverse Authors into Your Bookshelves
1. Go to a bookstore , online or IRL, and pick up some books that seem interesting to you.
2. If you don’t already know who the authors are, flip to the back of the book. Read about them there.
3. If you can’t tell if they are BIPOC & LGBTQIA2S+ based on their bio, do a Google search. Visit their website, Instagram, or Wikipedia.
4. By now, you may feel a little stalkerish. However, you’re actually just doing research. You never want to assume someone’s identity based on their name alone.
5. When you search online, add “controversy” at the end of their names. This helps you weed out the problematic authors.
6. Now back to your book stack—are any of the books you picked up by BIPOC & LGBTQIA2S+ identified authors? If not, keep browsing!
7. You can search for “Romance Books by Latina Authors.” You can also try “Fantasy Books by Black Authors” or “Memoirs by Trans authors.” These options are helpful if you’re looking for a genre-specific book.
8. Keep a running list of books you want to read. This can be a mental or a physical list. Ensure the books are written by BIPOC and LGBTQIA2S+ authors.
9. Last step seems a little obvious. All that’s left is for you to borrow these books at the library or buy these books 📚. Then, start reading and leaving ratings for other readers.
What Not To Do
Here’s what you’re not going to do. You’re not going to ask members of these systematically marginalized groups for book recommendations. Avoid this especially during specific history & heritage months. There are content creators who already do this work all year round, all you have to do is research.
Follow Content Creators To Learn More
Instagram is a great search tool for finding niche bookish content creators. These creators recommend and rally for BIPOC & LGBTQIA2S+ year-round. Here are some of my favorite Instagram content creators who share books by BIPOC & LGBTQIA2S+ regularly:
The Key Takeaway
It’s easy to start reading diversely. It’s not too late to incorporate BIPOC and LGBTQIA2S+ authors into your everyday reading. Reading diverse perspectives can increase your empathy, open your worldview, and keep you sharp. If that doesn’t convince you to start reading diversely, then you may be defective and should seek help.
the bookish b* 