As RWA starts, I'm thinking of Black romance authors & editors from the 80s & 90s whose names deserve to be celebrated.
Vivian Stephens
Elise Washington
Barbara Stephens
Angela Jackson (1/2 of Lia Sanders)
Sandra Jackson-Opoku (1/2 of Lia Sanders)
Valerie Flournoy
(and)

Chassie West/Tracy West/ Joyce McGill
Sandra Kitt
Donna Hill
Leticia Peoples
Francis Ray
Shirley Hailstock
Margie Walker
Loraine Barnett
Monica Harris
Felicia Mason
Gwynne Forster
Eboni Snoe
Rochelle Alers
Brenda Jackson
Beverly Jenkins

& many more. Black romance has a history.

I'd actually been toying with the idea of creating one of those ampersand shirts as a fundraiser idea, but the list is way too long.

Oh jeez, I forgot Eva Rutland, who was one of an unknown number of Black authors in the 80s and 90s who spent their careers primarily or only writing white characters because they were told Black romance wouldn't sell.

If you enjoyed this thread and you’re attending RWA this weekend, don’t miss this session at 11am edt today: https://twitter.com/romancewriters/status/1281641560241831937?s=21 https://twitter.com/romancewriters/status/1281641560241831937