"Romance is known as the literature of hope for all readers, but for Black readers navigating a world that discounts the value of Black life and denies the existence of Black humanity, Black beauty, and Black people's capacity for love, the idea of romance as hope has additional weight." - Carole V. Bell
As many continue to have conversations about the importance of diverse representation in literature, a newer conversation has made its way to the forefront. Representation should not only focus on trauma, but also the joy of that community. One of the easiest ways to find Black joy in books is to turn to Black love representation found in romance books. Black romance is defined as a book where both main characters identify as Black and ultimately find their “happy for now” or their “happily ever after.” This representation not only illustrates Black joy, but also pushes back against the erasure of the Black nuclear family that has roots in slavery. Often demeaned and denied, the recognition of Black love in books provides a way to celebrate the importance of Black relationships (romantic, platonic, LBGTQIA+, etc), communities, family structures, and more. This celebration does not equate to Black love being more important than any other representation of love, it simply illustrates that it is just as important. It is vital that readers are able to see beyond the trauma often associated with the Black community and find joy.
"Romance is arguably the genre that most consistently celebrates the fullness of Black life, and is where many readers have looked to find refuge from the burden of racism and rediscover Black joy separate from its struggles." - Carole V. Bell
Be sure to check out the 5 titles that I absolutely love in the slideshow below as well as the curated list of releases at the bottom of this post.