Welcome to En Color — Letter from the Editor
Joy is our most powerful counternarrative and has the capacity to decolonize imaginations. — Aja Monet
Since I can remember, I’ve been an avid book reader. My younger self would spend hours nuzzled in my local library — getting lost in a novel. The library held a world of phenomenal writers of which we shared a deeply rooted commonality — our love for our Blackness.
I turned to books by Black authors to gain wisdom about my heritage. I was enamored by how writers like Toni Morrison, Walter Dean Myers, and Connie Porter used their storytelling to evoke emotions and awaken my imagination — I found solace in their words. Their stories of love, hope, courage, and tenacity provided a mirror to my soul; because rarely were Black experiences and history represented in my school’s curriculum. Reading would become the soul food to my writing — vibrant, rich, colorful, and Black.
For years I struggled with finding my voice and purpose. Media depicted my Blackness as disruptive, ghetto, and damaging, yet society appropriated our style, traditions, and art in the name of trends. As if this paradox wasn’t already harmful, we were not given credit for what was indeed an extension of our Blackness.
When I yearned for a reminder of who I was, I listened to Nina Simone, Erykah Badu, and Angela Davis. Their words were a blanket of comfort that our Blackness was beautiful in all its glory. In a world that often disregards and disrespects Black identities, I always knew I could count on the innumerable stories of survival, perseverance, and joy passed on from our people. Our magic came from when we used our voices and art to tell our own stories. Twenty-something odd years later, I am here to do the same.
As I fully embrace writing and storytelling, I am proud to present En Color — a progressive publication illuminating Black voices, Black art, and Black culture.
We are a collective created for us and by us; a library of thought-provoking stories from writers across the African Diaspora. Rooted in a passion for storytelling, art, and culture, we impact, influence, and inspire one story at a time.
So come on in. Relax your mind, unwind and get inspired. I believe the stories featured in this publication will serve as a gateway to liberation, joy, inspiration, and healing.
Faithfully yours,
Tatiana Donaldson
