Diversity

We celebrate diversity in stories.

We recognize there are narratives of White as default in publishing industries.

We denaturalize Whiteness.

Using respectful listening and questioning, we try to change people's views for the more inclusive.

Definitions

•Diversity is the wide range of ethnicities, cultures, and experiences in the world.

•To celebrate is to respect and get to know better, in the spirit of learning.

•White as default is a bias that appears if one knows how to look. In books where only the People of Colour's skin tones are described, there is an implicit default that if the skin tone is not described, the character must be White. A hidden implicit Whiteness serves to keep White privilege natural and normal.

•To denaturalize is to first make visible, and then question: why can't we describe pale skin tones? By capitalizing the word White, it becomes just another ethnicity and has no unsaid meaning. Celebrating diversity is not enough; we must also recognize hinderances to diversity.

•Inclusivity is a mindset, a practice. It's hard to define, but shows through actions that makes every person, especially the marginalized, feel that their story matters.