Yes, White Authors Should Write Characters of Color
Representation of minority characters in mainstream media, film, and pop culture has been an ongoing discussion. Some question why representation is necessary, bemoaning “forced diversity” in media. Others posit, with perhaps a thin facade of “wokeness” that white writers should “stay in their lane” and avoid writing characters they cannot do justice for.
And of course, we have seen that even when authors write characters of color, readers may try to ignore it, as evidenced by the controversy surrounding the casting of Rue in The Hunger Games. Even though the author, Suzanne Collins made it abundantly clear in the book that Rue was black, some movie fans were outraged when a black actress was cast for the role.
More recently, Netflix stirred up controversy when they chose to hire actors of color to play white characters in their adaptation of The Witcher. Book and video game fans alike were upset when Mimi Ndiweni was cast to play the role of Fringilla Vigo, who was written as a white character in the books. However, both the books and the video game came under scrutiny for their lack of diversity.
More recent discussion has followed the release of The Invisible Life of Adi LaRue by V. E. Schwab. This novel spans across “centuries and continents” but was notable for its lack of characters of color. Now that there are discussions of a film adaptation for the novel, this not only has an impact on the fictional narrative of the book but also means there are fewer jobs for actors of color. The author’s decision to white-wash the novel has effects that span farther than just fictional representation. Whether the adaptation chooses to take a page from Netflix and cast actors of color anyway (risking backlash and cries of forced diversity) or remain true to the book material and hire relatively few actors of color remains to be seen.
However, in all cases, the initiative shifts back to the author. Suzanne Collin’s support for the Hunger Games cast and confirmation that Rue and Thresh had been written as black characters provided a publicly recognized legitimacy to the casting of black actors. Detractors could no longer claim that the film deviated from canon or was trying to hire “token” actors, the author was able to provide confirmation from her own text that these characters had always been black.
Andrzej Sapkowski’s notable defense of Netflix’s casting and acknowledgment that race was rarely addressed in his books and can therefore be interpreted freely changes the narrative from one of forced, performative diversity into a legitimate adaptation of his work. In contrast, CDPR’s statement, that they chose to handle conflicts through culture rather than race felt infinitely more hollow, but they did offer some correction by including Ofieri characters in the later expansions. To this day, qualms about the Netflix casting seem to stem more from deviations from the game than from the books, with many people’s vision of Fringilla solidified by her in-game character. What may the situation have looked like if CDPR had naturally included more POC in the games?
And perhaps none have so publicly encapsulated white guilt better than J. K. Rowling when it pertains to addressing a lack of diversity within her books. The Harry Potter author has attempted to inject diversity into her books after the series completion. In a 2007 interview, she provided the revelation that Albus Dumbledore is gay, something that has no basis of evidence in the books. Her attempts to transform the previously established cast into a more diverse group has reached meme status. But at the root of it all appears to be an author who is too uncomfortable to admit that she failed to write diversity into her book series and must now accept the analysis and criticism that follow from this. Instead, she has attempted to reenvision characters as Jewish or gay with no book context, as though diversity is a hat trick that can be pulled out for praise and admiration but carefully concealed at all other times.
But just as there are authors who may regret failing to write more characters of color, there are plenty of authors who have attempted and failed. And it seems this fear of making a misstep, of potentially offending the audience or getting “canceled” causes some authors to hesitate.
Author of the Something Dark and Something Holy series, Emily A. Duncan came under fire for anti-semitism in her book Wicked Saints. It was accused of utilizing several anti-semitic tropes, including themes of blood libel and also of using stereotypical and racist descriptions. She issued an apology, stating that she tried to handle the matter sensitively but fell short. It did not help that she was also accused of harassing other authors of color with racist attacks, causing readers to question whether the inclusion of these tropes was intentional and malicious rather than simply ignorant.
Uprooted author, Naomi Novik also drew concern with her book A Deadly Education. The book intended to be inclusive, featuring a half Indian and half Welsh protagonist who attends a school of magic. Unfortunately, when attempting to explain why students of this school often cut or shave their hair to avoid deadly parasitic monsters, she used dreadlocks as an example of a hairstyle that would put someone at greater risk of containing egg larvae. Given that dreadlocks have often been perceived as “dirty” by larger society, Naomi Novik issued an apology for including a line that perpetuates negative stereotypes about black hair. She has decided to remove the line from further publications. While debate arose about other racially charged stereotypes in her books, Naomi has thus far intended to remain inclusive in her novels and learn from prior mistakes.
This does leave room for further discussion. If authors are so afraid of being “cancelled” that it leads to them refusing to write inclusively, is creating a culture of cancellation a productive step? Some have argued that if white authors are going to be able to write inclusively, they need to be permitted to grow from missteps. And perhaps some mistakes can be recognized as a product of ignorance rather than malice. But for every Naomi Novik, who appears to be a well-meaning author, there’s an Emily A. Duncan, whose private behavior appears to have matched the type of racist views upheld in her book. Each reader needs to decide for themselves whether they want to hold authors accountable for their missteps and allow them to grow, or if they simply want to boycott authors who make use of problematic tropes and stereotypes.
For authors, accepting accountability and committing to grow from missteps is vitally important. Making corrections, removing offensive quotes from further publications and learning how to write better in the future allows for personal growth and improvement. And one can well argue that despite the controversies, Naomi Novik, Emily A. Duncan and even J.K. Rowling are still very successful and accomplished authors who continue to work today.
It is important to remember that there was a time where publishing was not just dominated by white authors but by white male authors. And many male authors chose to make the same self-preserving decision to simply not write women in their novels to avoid doing so poorly. If it seems absurd to imagine novels written entirely about male characters, then it is important to also understand the absurdity of novels written entirely about white characters. POC, just like women, are human beings and not puzzles that are mysterious and unknown to greater society. Refusing to write books with POC characters not only disallows readers from being able to see themselves in the literature they read but it can stifle casting in future film and TV adaptations.
Challenge yourself to improve your writing and diversify your characters. Utilize resources like Writing with Color and hire a sensitivity reader before publication. There are more resources available today than ever before. And while we may not be able to demand that readers give grace for unintentional mistakes, we can certainly hold ourselves to a higher standard and be ready to take accountability. Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone not only makes you a better writer but it helps your work resonate with a larger audience. And it can open doors for POC in the future. Don’t underestimate your power as an author to help or to hurt others. And understand that choosing not to write POC because you are afraid you “won’t do them justice” is a form of harm.
