Diversity matters, but what aspects are important to you?

I stand on the platform of writing stories with female leads of color. Why? Because for me, as a brown skin woman, I’ve always been passionate about racial diversity and I think it’s still lacking in a lot of literature. I like consuming stories about women who look like me, and when I couldn’t find what I was looking for, I started writing the stories on my own.

Diversity in characters have always mattered to me but what I am discovering is that diversity and representation look different to different people. Certain areas of diversity are going to hold prominence depending on who you ask. This point became clear in an experience I had at my job recently. One of my fellow female colleagues asked an executive why a panel we were hosting contained only men. What I found interesting is that though she noticed it was an all-male panel, what I noticed first was that there were no speakers of color.  For both of us, diversity mattered, but for her, gender diversity held the most importance while I am most passionate about racial diversity.

Other people may have the most passion about having those differently enabled represented while another group may find diversity in sexuality the most important to them. While others want diversity in experiences and socioeconomic status, someone else wants to see diversity in family life with fostered children or blended families being represented.

Everyone tends to have a bias on what they want to see represented when they speak about diversity, but one thing I think we can agree on, is that representation in any form needs to be AUTHENTIC.

I remember years ago there was a show (I’ve since forgotten the name) that piloted featuring a Latina, bi-sexual, single mom, army vet. The show only lasted about six episodes. It was clear to the audience that the writers were trying to check too many boxes at one time. I’m not saying this archetype doesn’t exist, but it didn’t feel authentic. The show tried to represent too many experiences in one character.

For each of us, we probably have a diversity point that we are passionate about and we seek that to be authentically represented in our lives whether at work, in entertainment, in relationships or otherwise. In the things you create or the ideas you bring forth in your daily life, keep diversity at the forefront of your mind. Reflect on what aspects are important to you AND what aspects will be most important to your audience and create passionately toward those points!

To keep up with all my latest blogs, giveaways and new releases, subscribe to my newsletter below!