Reposted from 2023 - As I prepare to complete my next novel during this year’s National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) I pause to reflect on our freedom. How good it feels to be able to write freely without fear of censorship or being jailed for my words, thoughts, and opinions. How good it feels to tell stories channeling diverse characters who reflect the real people being attacked and murdered amid this new normal of escalating hate crimes, alt-right, and conservative politics. Mostly, these American terrorists are attempting to silence the voices of Black/African Americans, other ethnic people, and LGBTQIA persons.
We are at a crossroads and 2024 could seal our fates.
Attacks on our freedom of speech are escalating, especially as it relates to diversity and inclusion. Censorship is exacerbated by hate crimes, white supremacy, and conservatives taking over the media. We are faced with a different partisan conservatism in this country, hellbent on destroying democracy, stomping out diversity and inclusion, outlawing choice, and censoring speech. My latest novel Wrong Daughter: Night of the Blood Moon is a magical realism tale that includes a bit of history regarding the slave trade. Also, the protagonist is an African-American female.
This is evidenced by massive book bans in K12 schools, and laws banning K12 education that include discussions on race, Black history, the LGBTQIA experience, and the Holocaust for example. This cancel culture includes people on both sides of the spectrum, who believe their opinions are the only opinions that should be expressed regarding religion, political opinions, and diverse stories that go against alt-right conservatism and politics, or one-sided views on wars like the one in Ukraine and the current one in Israel. Remember Elizabeth Gilbert’s novel Snow Forest? Rather than stand up for her freedom, she allowed the cancel culture to stop her from telling her story.
What I predict for the future of writers can be summed up in Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. Michael B. Jordan played a lead role in the movie.
In that regard, writers should be afraid and what happens in 2024 will seal our fate.
Meanwhile, I invite all writers and readers to stand with me and shout, we will not be silenced!
In truth,
Amanishakhete
Michael B. Jordan in Fahrenheit 45l:
Texas public school teacher fired for wanting to talk about the Holocaust: https://advocatechannel.com/texas-teacher-fired-anne-frank
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