Survey Comments: Author Claudia Mair Burney

Today, I have the Claudia Mair Burney, the last of CBA author comments for this series on race in CBA publishing. She's the author of The Amanda Bell Brown Mysteries, Howard/Simon & Schuster. Murder, Mayhem, and Fine Man coming again in February 2008. Death, Deceit, and Some Smooth Jazz coming in April of 2008. And from David C. Cook: Zora and Nicky: A Novel in Black and White coming in March of 2008. Claudia can be found regularly over at ragamuffin diva.

Here are her comments:

"I think it's sad--downright TRAGIC that we, largely, still have a Jim Crow mentality when it comes to Christian fiction. The African-American writers are at the Colored drinking fountain, and the Whites are at the White's only drinking fountain, but the same water of Life quenches all our thirst.

I am a minority in CBA, but I also write Christian fiction for ABA, as most African American Christian writers do. I know the difficulties that come with writing for CBA--I learned them the hard way. And it was some education. Decisions must be made for people of color--no, let me clarify, for *African-Americans* in the CBA market that white people do not have to deal with: whether or not to put black people on the covers, whether or not the books should be placed with African-American books
or Christian fiction, whether or not "African-American" is a niche market and if White readers will buy the books.

I had a book review (a good one!), but the author constantly referred to my being black as if the idea of an African American CBA book was ASTOUNDING. I almost felt like her review served as an advisory to White people saying, "Hey, this is a "black" book with "black" characters! Just wanted you to be clear on that. Buyer beware." It took me weeks to get over the sting.

It's rough out here. And I speak from my experience.

Very recently some White authors I know have been *surprised* that CBA publishers have shown an interest in African-American writers and our fiction. One publisher told me he got manuscripts from African-Americans, but they "just weren't good." In 2004 as I wrote my first novel I read an article about African-American fiction in the CBA in which a senior editor of a major CBA house was quoted as saying something to the effect of, "It won't work if it doesn't have a strong, multicultural cast," (read that as lots of White people in it).

I got so discouraged at one point I decided to go to the Colored drinking fountain where I belong! Only God insisted that I drink at the *other* fountain, and shut those doors for me. So I wrote where God called me. I think it was to show me we really haven't come as far as we should have. Lord, have mercy. I also think I was there to let some people still in the fifties (or even further back) in their minds that YES, WE ARE HERE! WE *CAN* READ AND WE LIKE TO! WE CAN WRITE COMPELLING STORIES!!! That anybody will want to read.

I have been blessed to have *more* readers, including many, many, White readers, who have been blessed by my novel Murder, Mayhem, and a Fine Man. They entered the story world in the same way I do when I read a well written novel featuring White characters.

A good story is universal. It taps into our shared humanity. I would be ashamed to say I had no interest in "White" novels or "Asian" novels or "Latino" because the people are not like me. Reading about other people opened the world to me. Made me a better citizen of the incredibly diverse Kingdom of God, even the books that weren't well written.

May God grant us peace, forgive us our trespasses--we have NO excuse, and give us unity in our wondrous diversity."

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Thanks, Claudia for taking part in the survey. God's best to you and your writing in 2008.

Separate and Unequal

Here's my response to the discussion started by Dave Long's December 21 interview.

If you’ll bear with me for just a little bit, I need to get a little academic. There’s a little teacher in me ;-) Please don’t skip to the end and see what I say there before you read the academic parts. I feel it’s necessary to get where we have to go together. Thanks for your patience.

So here goes.

GOING BACK TO SCHOOL
Firstly, a definition of racism. Most scholars agree that racism is prejudice + power. That is to say, racism is having a prejudice or discrimination based on race, plus the power to enforce it. There are three main types of racism that we rub up against in America—active, passive, and institutional. Please note, these definitions are not mine. These are some that I’ve found and synthesized over more than a decade of study and exposure.

Active racism is conscious racial actions perpetrated by the majority race on a racial minority. We see this in racial hate group activity, using racial epithets, and telling racist jokes.

Passive racism includes the unconscious racial responses like laughing at racial jokes or believing in the inherit superiority of the majority race, which is white in this country, and making choices that benefit your race based on that belief/assumption. We could talk about white flight or the now-popular urban renewal efforts (or gentrification).

Institutional racism can be seen in makeup of the systems, policies, or power structures of institutions. If these systems, policies, and power structures benefit the majority race, they are considered racist. Today in American, we don’t see the more blatant institutional racist practices of separate water fountains but we do see holes that still exist in history books about the contributions of black inventors and innovators in America.

Both passive and institutional racism are invisible really, and might not seem racist at all since they are not accompanied by burning crossing as such. No one was left dangling from a tree at the end of a rope and no one was left out in the cold because they were denied housing. But they are harmful all the same.

Dr. Peggy McIntosh of Wellesley College Centers for Women calls bundles passive and institutional racism into a term she calls ‘white privilege.’ You can read more about it in a 1990 publication here.

Here are some of the points she raises in her white privilege article:

1. I can be pretty sure that if I ask to talk to the "person in charge", I will be facing a person of my race.
2. I can easily buy posters, post-cards, picture books, greeting cards, dolls, toys and children's magazines featuring people of my race.
3. I can take a job with an affirmative action employer without having my co-workers on the job suspect that I got it because of my race.
4. I can easily find academic courses and institutions which give attention only to people of my race.

A colleague of mine and fellow author, Chris Rice, writes about both white privilege and white blinders in his joint work with the late Spencer Perkins. About white blinders he says:

"Some of us close our eyes and pretend there’s no problem. Others stand by and watch as people are treated unjustly. But most of us lack the peripheral vision to see what’s going on around us. ... Four hundred years of slavery, forced segregation and discrimination have left a stubborn residue within us all. For blacks, the residue is anger, bitterness, and blame. For whites, the residue is racial blinders. If you drink polluted water you’ll catch hepatitis; if you were born in America, as I was, chances are you’re wearing those blinders."

Many books are available. I’ve listed a few links to nonfiction authors on my site. If you only read one nonfiction book on racial reconciliation this year, I’d suggest you read More than Equals by Spencer Perkins and Chris Rice.

Okay, I did all that academic stuff to make sure we were all on the same page (or at least a little closer to it) before I say what I really have to say in response to the comments on Dave Long’s interview.

CALLING IT WHAT IT IS
When we look at what is going on in Christian publishing, what I see, from a pure definition standpoint, is racism. Whether you want to call it that or not. That’s what it is. It’s a strong word and nobody wants to say it. I don’t know any white person in America that will raise their hand and say, call me a racist, please.

I’m not trying to make anybody feel bad, or beat anybody up or feel good about myself ‘cause yeah I called a white person racist today. That's not my style.

There is talk around these days in evangelical America to change the labels we use. I say let them stay. If we’re going spend energy meeting and discussing to change anything let’s change the world through the way we relate. Changing the labels of racism will do as much good calling me an African America (a title I think is a just a bandaid on the wound for meaning in America; in other words, it's okay to call me black).

Yes, what we're dealing with is racism. And those who are in power in the American racism scheme of things, by definition, are racist. White brother/sister, I implore you, grow a thicker skin or something so we can move past the whole label thing and move to the real work. And believe me there real work to be done.


TEARING IT DOWN. BUILDING IT UP
We’ve got some major walls to tear down. Satan wants the walls to stay up. We can say, well that’s the way it’s been for so long. It’s too late to change things now. Or even worse, it’s beyond us. If it was beyond us, then why did Jesus pray for our oneness in John 17.

We’ve got to be about the business of recognizing the walls in publishing, in urban ministry, in foreign missions (how many black missionaries do you know), in adoption services, etc. etc. etc. We’ve got to tear them down by God’s grace and power.

Christ’s followers have got to start talking frankly and in a concerted, educated fashion about race. Knee-jerk, emotional responses are yesterday’s response. I’m talking to black AND white brothers here. No more platitudes and niceties. No more 'well you know how they are.' Some deep sharing has got to take place. Some major repenting and forgiveness has got to take place. Yes, there may be some screaming, crying, shouting, hand-wringing, whatever, but mostly I truly hope there will be some honest dialog.

This dialog has got to be free of malice and done out of a love that brings us closer together even though we are so very different. We’ve got to commit to continue to dialog, commit to keep talking even when you make me angry, even when you make me ‘wanna holler.’

This dialog is got to be peppered (yes, highly seasoned) with a sincerity and sensitivity that can only come out of being close together in a committed interdependent sometimes-sacrificial but always empowering relationship.

SEPARATE AND UNEQUAL
The truth of the matter is we are separate and unequal. We Christ followers have been for a long time. And I'm not just talking about the separate Sunday worship thing. The Civil Rights Act of 1965 didn’t change people’s hearts, it only changed the laws.

Truth is, I don’t have any answers. And I don’t think there’s a one size fits all answer. Prayer is key. Maybe there should be some fasting involved too. And while we pray and fast, we can talk.

Talking gets us closer to an answer to whatever our problem is. Now, what can we do to get us closer to a fix for our problem of separation in Christian publishing? One tool we can use online is a forum or bulletin board system. Something that we can use online to give us the ability to thread conversations. Judging from the responses to Dave’s post, that kind of online tool would be helpful. So in January I will be making a switch to a new platform for 17seeds.com. It will include a forum, my blog, and maybe a few more resources on biblical racial reconciliation.

Thanks once again for your input. May God’s grace and peace guide us toward healing in The Answer.

Interview with Dave Long

Please pardon the interruption, folks, but we've got a minor change in the lineup. I will feature Marilynn Griffith's survey comments next week. Today we have an interview with Dave Long.

Dave Long is a fiction acquisitions editor at Bethany House Publishers and a 2002 Christy Award winner for Ezekiel's Shadow.

Here's my interview with him:

LH: It's been said that books with people of color on their covers limit their audience or reach. What is your opinion on that?

DL: I'd love to be able to say that there's no impact, but I think that's naive. I think if you look at the demographic of the core of the CBA readership, it's a largely white readership. And that makes an impact as you look at targeting audience. I don't want to go so far as to say it automatically limits the audience though. But I think the overall design of the book and packaging of the book becomes important. A book like Abraham's Well, which BHP published, is aimed widely at that general readership and we feel has a cover that will appeal widely.


LH: Do publishing houses use African American (AA) marketing firms to help them market the book? If not, are there any efforts underway to consult with AA marketing professionals?

DL: This isn't an area in which I'm terribly knowledgeable. I'm sure some do as a number of houses have imprints targeted at the AA market. I wasn't part of the Sharon Foster books in-house, so I don't know what went on here specifically. But when you're talking marketing firms, etc, you're talking about pretty significant campaigns aimed at the heart of your audience... And so the question for any publisher would be: Do we think this book is best aimed at the widest possible audience or best targeted at a niche? BHP to this point has not decided to pursue publishing AA Christian fiction. Though we're be happy and honored to publish fiction by AA Christians. Any and all races, in fact. Or nationalities. Or age demographic. It's the work that counts.


LH: To the best of your knowledge, are there any African Americans working in marketing for Christian publishing houses?

DL: We don't at BHP. I don't know the make-up of other marketing departments to speak more broadly. You could likely ask a pretty provocative question about the make-up of the entire staffs of most CBA publishers. And, frankly, the congregations of many, many many churches. It's an issue that seems beyond us as a Church right now.

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That's all for now. Have a great weekend.