When the Editor Says
That people of colour are very much welcome; that really, you should not change your POV to fit the American’s flawed understanding of the world. That they actually value diversity– haven't you seen we published a Nigerian man 8 years ago?
That people who are underrepresented in literature should apply without thinking twice; they should have sent in their work as soon as they read the guidelines. That, really, he has been waiting all his life to read your poems and stories. That he swears it will make him cry and laugh, before he starts wondering why in the hell your english sounds as it does, why it is not comfortable and sounds like you’re putting on a mask. That he would prefer if you would just cut your chest and pour out your too-large heart with all of its Kiswahili and Luhya clots, before he tells you to stitch your darker-than-he-anticipated skin back up.
You listen in vain for years before you meet the older writers who whisper to you authoritatively, their voices cutting through the steam of their tea, that you should always look up the picture of the EIC and ask yourself: Would I have a meaningful conversation with this man staring at me bluely from a sterile background? Is he capable of deciphering my accent? If not, do not submit.
No matter how much the editor swears that POC are very much welcome, that, really, you should…