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@Troy OMG! Yes, most stories written by black authors aren't free of another ethnic group's influence. This is why I don't read most black books and rarely watch black dramas. And no, I haven't seen Black Panther - but I did watch Netflix's "Raising Dion." Some parts were "laugh out loud," and I did appreciate the message. But mostly, in either medium, we as an ethnic group are reactionary instead of responsive to our environment. When I read, I look for someone I can relate to in the pages or screen. My personal struggles rarely, if ever, have to do with racism. Although I subscribe to "intersectional feminism" beliefs, it hasn't been my struggle either. In fact, being a black woman has afforded me more opportunities than if I were a regular white man. So when I read or watch thrillers, mysteries, horror, sci-fi - it's usually written by a white man. Although I've recently found Film producer Ben Watkins, Victor Lavalle, two men who identify as black, which both speak to me on several levels.both speak to me on several levels. I think because they both write strong ass, black women, with an agency in their films and stories. I'm also looking forward to reading N.K. Jemisin. But I digress, white men have different struggles but struggles that most black people face in addition to racism, misogyny, sexism, etc... So, I read them to learn how to solve conflicts that exist outside of the "ism" schism. So yes, please battle other conflicts that are also pertinent to our existence on this big blue marble. We've spent 400 years fighting racism... I'm not sure I want to escape into a book that also battles it too.

HOLD ONTO LOVE. Shit happens — no need to immortalize it. If you survive it, internalize what's left. LOVE. Happy Valentine's Day.

Absolutely not. Imagine a world in which Black people operated completely free of racism, oppression, and prejudice -- Even the world of Wakanda included crazy white people trying to steal technology or butt in... White people do it all the time, they tell their stories entirely free of, or influenced by, anyone else. We rarely do it. I think it would be the ultimate form of protest literature.