So if you haven’t heard by now publisher Bloomsbury AGAIN put a white girl on the cover of a book starring a dark skinned woman. They’ve done it before with the excuse that “covers with black people don’t sell” (I’m sure there are many AA fiction authors that beg to differ, and Bloomsbury, what about not putting a person on the cover at all if that’s an issue, like the Twilight covers?)

Today the author made a statement which essentially was “Yes, it’s not good, but I’m just happy to be published so I’m not going to say anything else”. Worse the people commenting on the blog who did point out that there are options for outrage that won’t damage her bottom line were told that their “ball was in the wrong playground” and were told to debate the issue elsewhere.

Where else is there? No, really. Last week an incident that happened involving me that I consider to be racist and disrespectful. But the only witnesses were myself and the perpetrators. I want to stand up for the PoC who were dismissed and judged against, but I was told my opinion didn’t matter because I wasn’t black. I was warned that no one would listen to me because I wasn’t the one the racial offense occurred against.

Does a lack of a direct PoC victim make something less racist? I’m not talking slurs, I’m talking a judgment made based on race. If we, as advocates and allies, are commonly told to just duck our heads and don’t mess with the status quo, how does that change anything?

Many years ago I was also told I had no place in GLBT activism because I was dating a man, which meant I was somehow no longer “one of teh gays”. This has only gotten worse as my relationship became more serious and as I had my children.

How are these things less wrong and less offensive just because I’m not a PoC and not currently in a lesbian relationship? How is my anger, and my support of what’s just plain right on a human level less valid because I’m the only witness and I’m white, so I don’t count?

And how is it okay for an author to writer a book using a PoC as a main character, yet not allow even a discussion of the racism that white washed her cover? I can’t help thinking that race is good enough of an issue for her to use to make money, but not important enough to fight for. Likewise, Bloomsbury is putting forth the image that the book is good enough to publish, but not be honest about.

And furthermore I find the whole idea in publishing that African American fiction/covers must be in their own separate section offensive and demeaning on a base level. Do publishers fear I am too stupid to relate to a story just because the lead is not white like me? Personally I feel issues like this should offend all sexes, colors and genders.

As for this most recent book, yes, maybe boycotting isn’t the best answer, especially if it could damage the author’s future career. But there are alternatives. Personally, I like the idea of buying the book anyway, removing the cover and sending it back to Bloomsbury with a note of refusal or complaint. There are other ways to make a point and still not hurt the author, who had no choice on the cover. But ducking your head down and refusing to support the dignity and rights of the very people you’re writing about shouldn’t be one of them.

ETA: No sooner did I post this than Bloomsbury announces they are changing the cover. See, no boycott needed. And I think this is a statement that makes me feel that perhaps Bloomsbury did not intend to be insensitive or offensive.