155 years ago—on this day, June 19th, word of the Emancipation Proclamation finally reached slaves in Galveston, Texas, a date celebrated as the end of slavery in America.
Less than a month ago—on May 25th, George Floyd was choked to death by a policeman, an act of racism that comes time and again.
Freedom is not here yet.
In recent weeks, the enormous and enormously moving Black Lives Matter protests have triggered an overdue reckoning in every facet of American life, including the worlds of publishing, Hollywood, and journalism about barriers that keep writers of color from telling their stories, and how those barriers can be torn down.