Microaggressions in Fiction

young-bookish-and-black:

When authors write about experiences that are not their own, particularly when these experiences involve a marginalized community, they may feel apprehensive, afraid, or anxious about the backlash they might receive if they do something wrong, which there is a 99.9% chance that they will. Here, I will outline some microaggressions that I notice when reading, each relating to anti-blackness and misogyny (as well as misogynoir, which is a combination of the two), as those are microaggressions that I face myself. If anybody has anymore to add, or would like to add some not related to anti-blackness or misogyny, feel free!

1. Comparing our skin to food. (coffee, toffee, caramel, chocolate, etc.)

2. Getting AAVE wrong. My degree is in linguistics, and although I am by no means an expert, I do speak a variant of that particular dialect, and can discern when it is being used improperly. Perceptions of Black English speech patterns are very racialized and politicized, and it annoys me when someone (probably white lbr) throws words that they’ve heard Black people say into a sentence without considering if this would be generated by the grammar of that dialect. If you have questions regarding a particular dialect, speak to someone who speaks it. Say your dialogue out loud to them and ask if that sounds grammatical.

3. The “Black Girl Best Friend” trope. We are not born sidekicks. We are not all sassy walking stereotypes. Some of us do embody stereotypes about Black women, and that’s perfectly fine! But do not stuff your Black girl character with stereotypes and call them character traits. Additionally, do not write your Black Girl Best Friend characters so that she is only there to uphold your white protagonist and step in when they need her. (Think Bonnie from The Vampire Diaries)

4. Hypermasculine, hypersexual Black men characters. Just don’t do it. This stereotype is harmful and contributes to a wider fear and distrust of Black men and black bodies.

5. The Magical Negro. We are not here to provide your protagonist with sage wisdom or solemn advice 

6. Colorism/”Palatable Blackness,” LISTEN. If your Black characters all look like Zendaya or Jesse Williams and have curly or wavy, rather than kinky hair? You might wanna consider the colorism ingrained in that choice, fam.

7. Not knowing how kinky hair behaves. This is related, kind of, to the above. Watch some natural hair videos or summn before deciding what hairstyle you want your black character to have, because kinky and coily hair behaves VERY differently from straight and wavy hair, and that should be considered when writing scenes.