POC (People of Color) means non-white, which encompasses many different groups of people.
African-Americans are POC.
African Americans constitute 15% of the US population. (ref: http://blackdemographics.com/)
Most African American live in the South East of the US.
Note that many Caribbean and South American people as well as Africans and African-Americans call themselves “black” but do not look alike at all. People with mixed ancestry also call themselves “black” although they have a white parent or white ancestors.
Note that:
Writing about PoC while being PoC oneself can be problematic.
It takes a hard look on oneself.
It takes courage.
It takes context.
Stereoptypes:
Characters to avoid:
-Separate race and ethnicity,
-Use words like class and status sparingly,
-Use a person with such and such disability rather that the word “disabled”
Physical appearance?
Face:
Skin tones:
Hair:
Vocabulary?
Race Narrative?
'Black characters are still revolutionary’: writers talk about the complexity of race: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/sep/04/black-authors-writers-publishers-talk-complexity-race
Code Switch?
Code switching is a reality.
Sometimes it is a matter of survival or a matter of fitting in.
Code switching while talking: https://lithub.com/writing-while-black/
People of Colour Talk About the Times They ‘Code Switched’: https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/bjjjvm/people-of-colour-talk-about-the-times-they-code-switched
From npr radio: Code Switch Podcast, Episode 2: Being 'Outdoorsy' When You're Black Or Brown: https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2016/06/08/480932447/the-code-switch-podcast-episode-2-made-for-you-and-me
On Whites writing Black American Characters?
Can White Authors Write Characters of Colors? The answer is yes. Read this: https://nelsonagency.com/2017/01/can-white-authors-write-characters-of-color/
Some links suggested above:
http://www.springhole.net/writing/offensivemistakes.htm
https://mediadiversified.org/2013/12/19/how-to-write-women-of-colour-and-men-of-colour-if-you-are-white/
I especially like this quote, “So, can white people ever write about people of color?
Yes.
Speculative fiction is a wonderful genre that allows authors to explore their imaginations unhindered. So I especially encourage writers of Fantasy and Science Fiction to populate their worlds with culturally and ethnically diverse characters.
And here’s the beautiful thing — your worlds don’t have to be Earth analogs! This means that the dark-skinned or brown-skinned people you write about aren’t black Americans or Indigenous people or Mexican or Vietnamese people. So all that messy history of our world be can set aside and you focus on telling a rich and complex story.
If you truly want to discuss issues of race, tell the stories of an oppressed people, or just want to write a multicultural story, it’s best to create your own world. But as always, do your research and have good intentions.” taken from: http://readdiversebooks.com/white-authors-fill-your-stories-with-people-of-color-but-dont-make-them-your-protagonists/
Authors to read/ TV Shows, films to Watch:
Black authors Everyone Should Read in order to understand PoC characters: (Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, Amiri Baraka, Octavia Butler, W.E.B Dubois, Ralph Ellison, Alex Haley, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Richard Wright, Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, ) http://www.pbs.org/black-culture/explore/10-black-authors-to-read/
22 Contemporary Authors You Absolutely Should Be Reading: https://www.buzzfeed.com/isaacfitzgerald/these-writers-are-not-to-be-missed15 Black Writers We Should All Be Reading in 2017: https://offtheshelf.com/2017/02/15-black-writers-we-should-all-be-reading-in-2017/
Blackish: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/feb/25/series-creator-kenya-barris-on-abc-sitcom-black-ish
“The Belles” by Dhonielle Clayton
“The Hate U Give” (also a movie) by Angie Thomas.
African-Americans are POC.
African Americans constitute 15% of the US population. (ref: http://blackdemographics.com/)
Most African American live in the South East of the US.
Note that many Caribbean and South American people as well as Africans and African-Americans call themselves “black” but do not look alike at all. People with mixed ancestry also call themselves “black” although they have a white parent or white ancestors.
Note that:
Writing about PoC while being PoC oneself can be problematic.
It takes a hard look on oneself.
It takes courage.
It takes context.
Stereoptypes:
Characters to avoid:
- The Jezebel: the highly sexual woman.
- The basketball player.
- The mamma: large woman with developed maternal instincts (ref: https://ferris.edu/HTMLS/news/jimcrow/links/essays/vcu.htm)
- The sidekick
- Black Americans are often perceived as thugs, criminals, gang members, and low life because of poor representation through television. Worse, the achievements and positive images of black Americans are perceived as false and inaccurate.(ref: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5004736/ )(ref: https://library.uoregon.edu/sites/default/files/data/guides/english/howard_journal_communications.pdf )
- This article explains the trope of angry black woman and Serena Williams.Black women cannot push back or they fall into stereotypes. (ref: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45476500 )
- Practical Advice to Write Black American Characters:How Not to Write Characters of Color (ref: https://bookriot.com/2016/08/22/how-not-to-write-characters-of-color/)
- What Teachers Never Taught And Writers Feared To Write: Disability in African American Children's Literature (ref: http://dsq-sds.org/article/view/842/1017 ) People with disabilities are often represented as dependent on others and helpless while in fact they might be much more empowered than thought. The clichés around helplessness, cure and heroism should be reversed in order to sound more realistic and true.
- Some guidelines on Writing about Race, Ethnicity, Social Class and Disability (ref: https://www.hamilton.edu/academics/centers/writing/writing-resources/language-of-difference-writing-about-race-ethnicity-social-class-and-disability )
-Separate race and ethnicity,
-Use words like class and status sparingly,
-Use a person with such and such disability rather that the word “disabled”
- 9 Black Character Stereotypes to Avoid in Your Writing: https://writersanontaunton.wordpress.com/2016/04/13/9-black-character-stereotypes-to-avoid-in-your-writing/
- Do not write these stereotypical characters: the slave, the angry black woman, the comic relief, the drug dealer, the athlete, police chief, nurse, blind faith, magical hero, extravagant gay man.
- Black Stereotypes in literature, film and television – the Sapphire (ref: http://www.jasonhenryevans.com/2017/04/the-sapphire/ ) I love this article because it clearly explains how to write around the stereotype of the Sapphire woman, one of the most enduring stereotypes in literature. Let’s her be vulnerable f at times and let males take over for a change.
- Writing diversity: avoiding the Magical Negro (ref: http://www.stacylwhitman.com/2011/12/14/writing-diversity-avoiding-the-magical-negro/ )The Magical Negro is a version of the Guru who comes to help the hero. This article shows ways to avoid the stereotype, based on an article written by a Back American: Stephen King’s Super-Duper Magical Negroes: http://strangehorizons.com/non-fiction/articles/stephen-kings-super-duper-magical-negroes/
Physical appearance?
Face:
- Neither Africans nor African-Americans have thick noses and thick lips. Some do. Some don’t. In Africa, in some regions (Ethiopia, for example) people have very slim and fine features. (Ref: People of Color in European Art History: http://medievalpoc.tumblr.com/)
- “First off, it's a generalization. Not all Africans have large noses and lips. Characteristic facial feature vary from region to region in Africa. In West and South and some parts of Central Africa, those characteristics you stated are what the majority of the Africans look like. But most East Africans, North Africans, and some Central Africans have thin noses, normal - thin lips and usually have curly hair and can have straight/wavy hair. It's not because of mixing with non-Africans, it's because Africans are a diverse people. In fact, Africans are the most diverse ethnic group, according to researchers and scientists.” (ref: https://www.biology-online.org/biology-forum/viewtopic.php?t=16091)
Skin tones:
- Reference to skin tone as food. Food similes reduces minorities (especially women) to a food item or suggests they’re good enough to eat. It’s a reference to the woman’s sensuality. It’s also cliché. (ref: http://writingwithcolor.tumblr.com/post/95955707903/skin-writing-with-color-has-received-several) (ref: https://www.quora.com/Why-is-it-racist-to-describe-someones-skin-color-with-food#).
- To be on the safe side, use adjectives related to light such as golden brown or reddish-brown.
Hair:
- Hair is an important subject for African Americans and African ladies. Many women spend hours taking care of their hair. Parents of another race would not know how to tame this kind of hair unless taught by someone. It’s tricky.
- Hairdos, hair accessories, and hair texture are complex and significant. They place your characters into groups. An African American who straighten her hair or die her hair blonde have different motives than someone who decides to grow her hair naturally (ref: http://writingwithcolor.tumblr.com/post/113627509260/words-to-describe-hair)
- (ref:http://writingwithcolor.tumblr.com/post/94390338957/describing-natural-hair)
- Do not say “coarse” to describe African American hair. “So, when I read someone say coarse, I'm like "Wtf? Black people's hair is NOT hard and rough?! Maybe some, but not all! It's soft, maybe it feels differently if not moisturized" etc etc etc.” (ref: https://curltalk.naturallycurly.com/discussion/151814/i-get-mad-when-people-use-coarse-to-describe-black-hair)
Vocabulary?
- Only African American can refer themselves as “black” or “negro” or give themselves food names such as “mocha angel.” They know the context for it. It’s intimate and is used between two people who are very close or to challenge someone from the same minority group. It’s not a public name one throws at each other. Food names can be used with pride and respect, jokingly between family members.
- Beware of some derogative terms in POC culture. Some descriptions need context in order to work. For example, “It's a touchy subject and calling someone nappy-headed is one of those things that's not cool for strangers to say about you, but is cool for a close friend to say to you (term of endearment as an in-group kind of thing for communities of black heritage)… If you call a woman's hair relaxed [straightened] when it isn't she could take offense that you don't believe her natural hair could be that way. Same goes with a weave. If the person in question has Afro-textured hair, best thing to say is "natural".” (ref: https://www.reddit.com/r/ExplainLikeImPale/comments/1dbicr/there_are_many_different_ways_to_describe_ethnic)
- Characters that are not described in “white” literature are by default white. POC writers do not describe African-American because their default is a POC character. (ref: https://magicdistrict.wordpress.com/2009/07/30/describing-characters-of-color-pt-2/) (ref: YA fantasy called “Belles”)
- You can use world building in order to introduce races. Announce a district like “Harlem” and your audience will know and you won’t have to describe anyone’s color unless you have to. (ref: http://nkjemisin.com/2010/02/describing-characters-of-color-3-oppoc/)
- “Brothas and Sistas are used when referring to those that are a member of the same church as you… Brothas/Sisters are also used to describe a close friend or a group of them. You would hear a distinct er at the end of brother or sister if that is who they are referring to (their blood family.)” (ref: https://www.reddit.com/r/ExplainLikeImPale/comments/1dbj55/how_do_you_differentiate_between_brothas_and/)
- Offensive and racist expressions and words: The itis, uppity, peanut gallery. (ref: https://www.businessinsider.com/offensive-phrases-that-people-still-use-2013-11)
- The word “nigga” is part of the rap culture, but it’s still offensive. (ref: https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/piers-morgan-n-word-kanye-west-racism-rap-music-white-sorority-girls-alpha-phi-university-new-a7961461.html)
- Words with emotional connotation: fade, bae, kicks, etc. (ref: https://www.buzzfeed.com/justincarissimo/black-and-proud) (ref: https://hellobeautiful.com/playlist/black-people-like-renaming-things/item/2994432)
- Racist terms (ref )
- African American means someone has a tie to Africa. Some POC are offended by the term. They prefer “Black American.” Africans might dislike it when POC refer to themselves as African American because they do not have direct ancestors from Africa. For Africans, POC people are Americans.
Race Narrative?
'Black characters are still revolutionary’: writers talk about the complexity of race: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/sep/04/black-authors-writers-publishers-talk-complexity-race
Code Switch?
Code switching is a reality.
Sometimes it is a matter of survival or a matter of fitting in.
Code switching while talking: https://lithub.com/writing-while-black/
People of Colour Talk About the Times They ‘Code Switched’: https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/bjjjvm/people-of-colour-talk-about-the-times-they-code-switched
From npr radio: Code Switch Podcast, Episode 2: Being 'Outdoorsy' When You're Black Or Brown: https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2016/06/08/480932447/the-code-switch-podcast-episode-2-made-for-you-and-me
On Whites writing Black American Characters?
Can White Authors Write Characters of Colors? The answer is yes. Read this: https://nelsonagency.com/2017/01/can-white-authors-write-characters-of-color/
Some links suggested above:
http://www.springhole.net/writing/offensivemistakes.htm
https://mediadiversified.org/2013/12/19/how-to-write-women-of-colour-and-men-of-colour-if-you-are-white/
I especially like this quote, “So, can white people ever write about people of color?
Yes.
Speculative fiction is a wonderful genre that allows authors to explore their imaginations unhindered. So I especially encourage writers of Fantasy and Science Fiction to populate their worlds with culturally and ethnically diverse characters.
And here’s the beautiful thing — your worlds don’t have to be Earth analogs! This means that the dark-skinned or brown-skinned people you write about aren’t black Americans or Indigenous people or Mexican or Vietnamese people. So all that messy history of our world be can set aside and you focus on telling a rich and complex story.
If you truly want to discuss issues of race, tell the stories of an oppressed people, or just want to write a multicultural story, it’s best to create your own world. But as always, do your research and have good intentions.” taken from: http://readdiversebooks.com/white-authors-fill-your-stories-with-people-of-color-but-dont-make-them-your-protagonists/
Authors to read/ TV Shows, films to Watch:
Black authors Everyone Should Read in order to understand PoC characters: (Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, Amiri Baraka, Octavia Butler, W.E.B Dubois, Ralph Ellison, Alex Haley, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Richard Wright, Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, ) http://www.pbs.org/black-culture/explore/10-black-authors-to-read/
22 Contemporary Authors You Absolutely Should Be Reading: https://www.buzzfeed.com/isaacfitzgerald/these-writers-are-not-to-be-missed15 Black Writers We Should All Be Reading in 2017: https://offtheshelf.com/2017/02/15-black-writers-we-should-all-be-reading-in-2017/
Blackish: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/feb/25/series-creator-kenya-barris-on-abc-sitcom-black-ish
“The Belles” by Dhonielle Clayton
“The Hate U Give” (also a movie) by Angie Thomas.