Daniel José Older is an author who’s navigated the publishing industry; as such, he knows what it’s like to push up against an institutionally racist trade. In a powerful essay over at Buzzfeed, Older describes the contradiction–and the pain–of loving the craft of writing, yet having to deal with a publishing industry that not only assumes that people of color don’t read, but that people of color also lack what it takes to be masterful writers.  

In the essay, titled "Diversity Is Not Enough: Race, Power, Publishing," Older also problematizes the drive for diversity:

We’re right to push for diversity, we have to, but it is only step one of a long journey. Lack of racial diversity is a symptom. The underlying illness is institutional racism. It walks hand in hand with sexism, cissexism, homophobia, and classism. To go beyond this same conversation we keep having, again and again, beyond tokens and quick fixes, requires us to look the illness in the face and destroy it. This is work for white people and people of color to do, sometimes together, sometimes apart. It’s work for writers, agents, editors, artists, fans, executives, interns, directors, and publicists. It’s work for reviewers, educators, administrators. It means taking courageous, real-world steps, not just changing mission statements or submissions guidelines.

Take a few minutes to read his essay in full.