Are there distinctive aspects of the African American womans experience?
I think all women struggle with the same issues. Being African American just adds another dimension to some of them. In 2010, I would like to think that it’s somewhat obvious, without having to go through the history of being black in America. However, there are more black men in prison than in college. There are more black women in college than black men. Black women outearn most black men. Drugs and violence plague our communities. Some black women (not me) feel that the rise in interracial marriages (i.e., black men marrying white women) has created a situation where there are even fewer available black men. I have an aversion to writing didactically, so I tell stories about black women that hopefully all women can relate to, regardless of race. And when I read novels whose protagonists are white, I’m not thinking: “Oh gee, this woman is white!” I relate to the human component we all share in that we all want to be loved and be happy but things get in the way. There’s no color on th
