Burden Quote by Angie Thomas

Americans think African writers will write about the exotic, about wildlife, poverty, maybe AIDS. They come to Africa and African books with certain expectations.

— Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Of course I'm a black writer. I'm not just a black writer, but categories like black writer, woman writer and Latin American writer aren't…

— Toni Morrison

I'm one of the few Black writers, or African American writers, who managed to work my way through the system so that it has…

— James McBride

I'm not against White writers writing about Blacks as long as they are as objective as say James McPherson writing about an Irish American…

— Ishmael Reed

There are places and spaces for black writers to write about race as a central thing. It's important. We're still dealing with the remnants…

— Kwame Alexander

“Throughout my life as I’ve sought to become a published writer of speculative fiction, my strongest detractors and discouragers have been other African Americans.…

— N.K. Jemisin

I feel like I'm put in a position where I have to engage with what people bring to my work, which is an expectation…

— Branden Jacobs-Jenkins

“African-American writers with an independent vision are often consigned to obscurity. The white critics can only tolerate one black writer at a time, usually…

— Ishmael Reed

In my time since moving to the United States, I've found that there is a dearth of great writing for black people. There are…

— David Oyelowo

“Are you kidding me?' Shan asked, slightly drunk, slightly dramatic, and now sitting yoga style on the floor. 'You can't write an honest novel…

— Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

African American writers and artists, by the very nature of what they do, will actually enhance or bring together people in a way that…

— Jerry Pinkney

Twenty years ago, when I started writing, I didn't define myself as an African-American writer. And then you write books and you're focused on…

— Colson Whitehead