to think that you can't lump black writers all together in a book quiz

[mrsmootoo]

This is slightly niche, but I am organising a book quiz and one round that has been suggested is to identify book covers of books by black authors (all sorts of writers, fiction/non-fiction - the Obamas, Toni Morrison, Zadie Smith etc) and include an odd one out that would be The Help because it is actually written by a white author. There's something about this that makes me uncomfortable as it seems to suggest you can define all black authors together regardless of what they've written. Am I being over sensitive?

No you’re not! That’s horrendous! I’m a writer with plenty of friends that are black and you couldn’t tell any of us apart. Tell them not to do it!

I wouldn't do this it suggests as you say that authors should be categorised by race.

There is Black Authors website

www.blackenterprise.com/must-read-books-black-authors-2019/

www.penguinrandomhouse.com/the-read-down/books-by-contemporary-black-authors

www.stylist.co.uk/books/10-must-read-books-by-black-female-authors-for-2019/251343

Wow, well I’m not sure having a quiz category on black authors is a problem per se, as it wouldn’t be a problem having a quiz category on female authors for instance, others may feel differently of course. However, there seems to be something really off with using The Help as a ‘gotcha’ in those circumstances.

No I don't think It's a good idea. It's suggesting that there is a separate genre of literature where the only defining feature is that the authors or characters are black.

I mean using the category in a positive sense doesn’t seem problematic. But that particular question is just awful.

Yanbu. ‘Black author’ isn’t a genre! It’s weird to categorise people that way.

‘Black author’ isn’t a genre! It’s weird to categorise people that way.
But for a quiz I can sort of see why they'd do it, in the same way you could have it with female authors & use ones with gender-neutral names like Lee. Granted I can't see the point in doing black authors any more than I could authors with glasses or with blonde hair, and in this day and age it's asking for complaints, but for a simple book quiz.... If it was a quiz run by Waterstones or someone similar though I'd be unimpressed because there are loads of better categories but if it was a pub type quiz or whatever then I'd assume that the person doing it happened to know several books by black authors (or ginger authors or authors with glasses) and thought 'that'll do'

YANBU, I definitely wouldn't have this set of questions in the quiz. It is "othering".

I dont like the one white author trick part

But 'black authors' is a legit category that i have no problem with

I'm surprised that someone was actually able to arrive at such a stupid suggestion.

obama is biracial