Writing about race and racism in the past

Hi everyone,

I’m currently working on a mystery novel set in 1920s New York. After doing some research into the era, I became fascinated by the contrast between the incredible art, music, writing that emerged as part of the Harlem Renaissance and the stark racial divide in the city (for instance, clubs with Black performers where only wealthy white guests were allowed, to say nothing of the resurgence of the KKK). My current plot centers around the disappearance of a torch singer from a Harlem nightclub, and because of this, I was hoping to incorporate some vivid descriptions of Harlem during that time, without glossing over the rampant racism.

My MC is a white reporter who teams up with a biracial detective to solve the crime. I’m not looking to delve too deeply into the topic (the mystery is the main focus here), but the narrative will rely on the characters’ prejudices and misconceptions leading them to chase the wrong lead, and I can’t write about the case without mentioning this discrimination.

Here’s the problem – as a white woman from a city that’s hardly diverse, I’m definitely not qualified to write about race issues from my perspective. Is it possible, through extensive research, reading books by Black authors, and getting feedback and sensitivity checks, to make this work, or should I abandon this angle altogether?

Hi everyone,

I’m currently working on a mystery novel set in 1920s New York. After doing some research into the era, I became fascinated by the contrast between the incredible art, music, writing that emerged as part of the Harlem Renaissance and the stark racial divide in the city (for instance, clubs with Black performers where only wealthy white guests were allowed, to say nothing of the resurgence of the KKK). My current plot centers around the disappearance of a torch singer from a Harlem nightclub, and because of this, I was hoping to incorporate some vivid descriptions of Harlem during that time, without glossing over the rampant racism.

My MC is a white reporter who teams up with a biracial detective to solve the crime. I’m not looking to delve too deeply into the topic (the mystery is the main focus here), but the narrative will rely on the characters’ prejudices and misconceptions leading them to chase the wrong lead, and I can’t write about the case without mentioning this discrimination.

Here’s the problem – as a white woman from a city that’s hardly diverse, I’m definitely not qualified to write about race issues from my perspective. Is it possible, through extensive research, reading books by Black authors, and getting feedback and sensitivity checks, to make this work, or should I abandon this angle altogether?

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