“I would add that many programs do not even offer courses dealing
with race and writing as an elective. I didn’t know such a thing existed.
Over the duration of my program, my writing became less race conscious
instead of more. Sure everything thing I do and say leaves the
mark of blackness behind. However, instead of drawing a circle around
the mark, expanding it, aiming the camera directly at it, I placed
translucent covering over it, not completely hiding race, but placing it
in the background. Without knowing it, I was learning to write like a
white woman because I must have believed that they knew what they
were doing. They were award-winning authors. They were where I
wanted to be. They were my teachers.”–Sherrie Fernandez-Williams, How Dare We! Write
Excerpt from How Dare We! Write
