As Texas natives, Juneteenth has always been a major Summer celebration for the BBC. However, this year we want to celebrate in a way to commemorate the continuous struggles of Black and Indigenous Americans. For centuries, our ancestors were stripped of the fundamental rights of education; the simple act of learning to read and write forbidden by the powers that be.
This Juneteenth we’re exercising a right denied to so many in the past. From June 19th-21st, we encourage all #OwnVoices storytellers to do what they do best – Write.
Whether you write romance or horror; fiction or non-fiction, self-help, or erotica – we’re asking all Black and African writers to take their frustrations, hopes, and dreams to the page.
The rules are simple. For the entire weekend, dedicate as much time as you can to writing. You can write about anything, or in any genre, but it must relate to the Black experience in America in some way.