No one, not a soul, is denying that publishing in general and Romancelandia in particular does *not* keep that same energy with AOC that they do w/white authors. It's not fair and it's not right.

But reviewers of color are up against racist barriers *too*.

We largely aren't given the same access, respect, opportunities, visibility, or acknowledgment as our white counterparts. But we're still here, still doing this work.

So, if don't nobody else get it, WE get it.

Groups of pissed off people coming for your head because you said/did/wrote something?

WE get that too.

Because when we critique these folks white faves...we are DRAGGED by our doll hairs by their friends and their fans.

Reviewers of color have QUIT reviewing b/c of it.

There is a situation RIGHT NOW where a reviewer of color is going through it b/c an author got in their feelings over valid critique, made a social media post that was...misleading and things spiraled into some deeply problematic places.

So when I say we get it...WE GET IT.

And it's because we get it that we think two, three, four, five times BEFORE we critique intra-community.

A lot of us hold a lot of pain back BECAUSE we don't want to cause strife in the community or be the weapon racist reviewers use to tear down an AOC and their work.

So when we *do* raise a topic, it's not without care. It's not without concern. It's not without a deep and abiding desire to see AOC succeed and thrive and get all of the flowers and all of the accolades and opportunities we KNOW they deserve.

When something is so hurtful or so harmful that we *can't* brush it off and we say something about it, that takes a massive amount of courage and comes with a massive amount of internal struggle because we *know* things are gonna go left as soon as we do so.

Reviewers of color are out here doing A LOT of emotional labor, usually for free, out of nothing but love and respect for the genre and those who write it.

We are not trying to hurt anyone, especially our own, but we don't want to be hurt either.

And what keeps getting lost in a lot of the discourse I'm seeing is that reviewers *from the community* are speaking their pain.

And being told to hush for the sake of the person who caused it.

Because that person is an AOC and more vulnerable than their white peers.

And while true, I am willing to bet most of the reviewers who *did* speak, thought long and hard *before* doing so for that very reason.

Reviewers of color have seen AOC suffer harsh consequences for things white authors get to make a notes app apology and move on from.

It's unjust and unfair.

And we can acknowledge that while also acknowledging that if people from *inside* the community are raising concerns they should be listened to.

No one *set out* to do harm. But unintended harm is still harm, even when it be your own people.

I'm also not saying the other conversations taking place shouldn't be had. They should. They have merit and are worth exploring and discussing.

We need to have those conversations. And it won't be easy but it is necessary.

But we can't have those conversations *without* acknowledging this all started b/c people are in pain.

Or that the person who brought it to the TL *is* a reviewer of color.

Or that reviewers of color are navigating a system that unfairly marginalizes and punishes us too.

I'm not even gonna pretend I have all of the answers.

And I am not "cancelling" any of my people because we're in disagreement. But when y'all wrong, I'mma tell you.

And some of y'all deadass wrong right now.

And I say that w/nothing but love, admiration, & respect.

So again: When most reviewers of color offer intra-community critique it's after a lot of careful consideration. Because we are on y'all's side. Because we don't want to adversely affect anyone's career. Because we know AOC have to work twice as hard to maybe get half as much.

We absolutely do not want to hurt y'all.

We just don't want to be hurt, either.

And on the occasions where things go left and harm is done, we want to be able to say "This was not okay" without feeling like traitors or being shamed into being quiet.

And I know it's a lot of complex moving parts here but I just feel like we have to *start* here: No one *wants* to do harm, no one wants to *be* harmed, and harm *should* be allowed to be called out.

I champion the protection of AOC but it can't come at the expense of the concerns and pain of reviewers of color. It can't be either/or.

I *KNOW* that was not the message some of y'all meant to send, but that was the message some of us received.

And that it hurts.