These book companies pasted Black faces on top of white, racist
stories. 

[ [link removed] ][IMG]

Tell Barnes & Noble and Penguin Random House to promote Black authors
and stories.

[ [link removed] ][IMG]

Dear John,

The country's leading publisher and bookstore, Penguin Random House and
Barnes & Noble, just applied literary Blackface to celebrate Black History
Month.

Earlier this week, Barnes & Noble and Penguin Random House announced the
impending release of a project in honor of Black History Month. And just
as quickly as they released the project, they canceled it due to massive
online backlash. Titled “Diverse Editions,” the initiative aimed to
increase engagement in “classic” books like Peter Pan, Frankenstein, Moby
Dick, and Alice in Wonderland by releasing covers that reimagined
characters as Black people and people of color.^1 Although this may have
seemed like an honest effort to promote diversity, in reality, the project
was misguided and harmful. These so-called “diverse” covers didn’t
highlight Black stories or Black authors, but instead pasted Black faces
on top of stories that remain overwhelmingly white and undeniably racist. 

[ [link removed] ]Tell Barnes & Noble and Penguin Random House to make real investments
in promoting books written by Black authors, not literary Blackface. 

Despite what Barnes & Noble and Penguin Random House may think, putting
the face of a person of color on the covers of white stories is not real
inclusion. Instead, it sends a dangerous message to people all over the
world that white stories are more acceptable, more valuable, and more
worthwhile than Black stories. It also sets a harmful precedent that it’s
okay for companies to take advantage of Black faces and diversity trends
to increase their profit margins. 

[ [link removed] ]Barnes & Noble and Penguin Random House should promote Black authors
and stories, not profit from literary Blackface. 

Barnes & Noble and Penguin Random House’s decision has far-reaching
impacts. Many of the “classic” books these companies chose to release in
the “Diverse Editions” initiative originally became popular when Black
authors and books with Black protagonists were frequently banned from
publication. And books like Moby Dick and Peter Pan are not only
overwhelmingly white, but contain harmful stereotypes of the characters of
color they do feature. Some books, like The Secret Garden, for instance,
were openly hostile toward Black characters. To place a Black version of a
character on the cover of a story that is not only white, but promotes
hostility toward Black people, is confusing, misleading, and harmful for
the Black people who may opt to read them. 

Books have a great deal of power. Books help children and adults alike
understand themselves and their history, embrace their identity and
culture, and internalize positive representations of themselves. But when
books are not representative of our communities, we lose out on powerful
stories that can help us imagine and accomplish our greatest dreams.
Because of their enormous power, it is necessary for Barnes & Noble and
Penguin Random House to take additional steps to promote books by Black
authors and authors of color, and ensure that our stories are being told.
With just 6% of children’s and young adult books published in the U.S. in
2018 written by Black authors, these companies should be finding ways to
get more Black authors published.^2

[ [link removed] ]Join us in telling Barnes & Noble and Penguin Random House to promote
more Black authors and Black stories.

Until justice is real, 
—Brandi, Rashad, Arisha, Jade, Johnny, Future, Amanda, Evan, Imani,
Samantha, Jenette, Ciera, Eesha, Marcus, FolaSade, and the rest of the
Color Of Change team

References: 

 1. “UPDATE: Barnes & Noble cancels launch of classic novels with new
covers following online backlash,” AM New York, February 3, 2020,
[ [link removed] ][link removed]
 2. “Publishing Statistics on Children's/YA Books about People of Color
and First/Native Nations and by People of Color and First/Native
Nations Authors and Illustrators,” Cooperative Children’s Book Center,
November 21, 2019, [ [link removed] ][link removed]

Photo: [ [link removed] ]AM New York


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[ [link removed] ]Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black
folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. [ [link removed] ]Help
keep our movement strong.

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