From the Editors

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To honor the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment in the US, we curated a special issue featuring Black women writers and artists. In 1920, Black women activists were instrumental in the passage of the 19th amendment despite the racism they faced from some fellow suffragists. Now in 2020, Black women are shaping the future of American politics. Black women are recognized as one of the most active and influential voting blocs in the country, and a record number of Black women are running for US Congress.

In literature, Black women have been historically underrepresented, and Black women writers are still under-published today in all levels of publishing, from litmags to novels. But despite the lack of representation, Black women are charging forward to shape the future of publishing in the US and across the globe. Books by Black women are topping bestseller lists, winning piles of literary awards, and touching the lives of countless readers. A golden era for Black women writers is unfolding, and as editors—and as librarians—we are proud to support it.