First, a huge thank you to Allison Gaines, our September interviewee. We’re blown away by your generosity in answering our questions. Thanks to you, this reading contains takeaways on a range of topics: the writing process, activism, racism in the U.S., and even touched on your personal history — the fire that destroyed your work, marriage, and the inner workings of various publications.
To our readers, we hope you get the most of out this interview and it gets you writing — inspired, even. We’ve collected links to all publications mentioned in the interview, their submission forms, as well as tags of the project managers and editors at the end for your convenience.
Believing in yourself is the first step of a writer’s rebirth.
LE FOOL: In your bio, you write about how a fire destroyed your work: “I’m 32 years old and have only a year and a half worth of writing to my name.” You touch on the idea of being reborn multiple times as a writer. Many creators experience some version of this; in today’s world, cultural landscapes can change overnight, bringing industries along with them. Some may argue rebirthing oneself is an essential life skill in the 21st century. What advice can you give for people having to start over?
GAINES: In the immediate aftermath of the fire, I felt devastated about my beautiful words lost in flames. To overcome that disappointment, writers should allow themselves time to grieve. After that, you need to believe in your abilities. For me, that meant realizing I was the same person who wrote all of those beautiful poems and stories. Even though I could not perfectly recreate what I lost, I had faith in my abilities. Believing in yourself is the first step of a writer’s rebirth.
LE FOOL: You’re a prolific writer, and the passion you have for your subject matter comes from a deeply rooted place. You’ve proven that many times over to your audience. There are many misconceptions about what motivates writers to address racial equality and social justice. How do you stay the course when there are so many challenges?
GAINES: Writing about racial injustice and equality ruffles feathers. So, I think writers who go down that route must realize that controversy is a natural, although sometimes stressful, part of the experience. When I write, I always emphasize journalistic integrity, meaning my writing is honest and uses empirical evidence to support the claims I make. When people don’t like hearing about police brutality, my writing hits them with cold hard facts. Knowing that I am dealing with facts makes it easier to take critique. I already think about the points the opposition makes and rebut these counterarguments throughout the piece. I would suggest writers not wait until someone tears their work down. Anticipate opposition and also connect with like-minded writers for support. It helps to hear from other writers who have been down this road before.
I would suggest writers not wait until someone tears their work down. Anticipate opposition and also connect with like-minded writers for support. It helps to hear from other writers who have been down this road before.
LE FOOL: You’re in the process of writing a book. We rarely get to highlight some of the joys and hurdles professional writers may have at this stage. Can you share with us some of the thoughts you’ve had regarding this process?
GAINES: One of the most challenging stages in writing a book is creating a writing schedule. Although I enjoy working on my book, the world won’t stop to let me focus on just one thing. However, by breaking my project up into smaller bits, I feel that my short-term goals will lead to success in my long-term goal of publishing a book. In addition, some of my articles have been pivotal in helping me explore topics I’m interested in, understanding various perspectives, and conducting research. Some days, I can feel discouraged because of how few pages I completed after months of working. However, I always remind myself that it is a marathon, not a sprint.
LE FOOL: Your perspective on marriage is nuanced, and you champion the rights of Black women and women of color, confronting misogyny and misogynoir along the way. I’m learning more about womanism through your work. Can you recommend one piece for someone who’d like to learn more?
GAINES: Sure, Black women experience racism and sexism, an intersection called misogynoir. But, that means when we fight for equality, we are doing so across those lines. My writing centers around educating white women about the harm traditional feminist movements have caused while also holding Black men accountable for minimizing the efforts of the womanist movement. I recommend anyone interested in learning about this perspective to read How Feminism Failed to Deliver Progress for Black Women and 3 Reasons to Check Your Black Male Privilege.
LE FOOL: You employ figures of speech masterfully in your work. For example, you write, “white feminists offer an olive branch but instead give toxic oleander” or “If so, they would articulate a clear rebuttal. Instead, they want to knee-cap her efforts”. These lines paint vivid pictures which clarify rather than muddle your main point. Teach us your ways! What are some common mistakes you see writers make when using figures of speech, and how can we use them more effectively?
GAINES: Thanks so much. I have fun with language, often using a metaphor to explain nuanced topics. New writers often make the mistake of jumping into the writing process without pre-writing. You get so many gems out of your notes. In my writing, I try to think of something in nature or a phrase I’ve heard often and bend it to the needs of the essay. For example, I once described racism in American history as rings on a tree trunk. For me, our history is not something we can run from because it’s there, with us, inherent and undeniable. My advice would be for writers to let their minds wander a bit, take notes, and enjoy the process.
You can trace each year of the tree’s life; it came from a long chain of seeds, saplings, and mighty oaks. Like trees, people come from an unbroken line of humans.
— Gaines, White People Will Never Get Sick and Tired of Racism Because They Benefit
LE FOOL: You co-founded Writers & Editors of Color (WEOC, pronounced “woke”) with Teressa P. WEOC has an ongoing project headed by L.A. Justice, The Case for the 1619 Project. How did this project come about, and what does it mean for you as an activist and as a scholar?
GAINES: This project came about when our project manager L.A. Justice and my co-founder Teressa P. brought up the consistent relevance of the Nikole-Hannah Jones 1619 Project. We decided the Case for the 1619 Project would be our first collection of essays because we firmly believe that our schools need Black history and multicultural history to break free from white-washed perspectives. As an activist, I enjoyed spreading the message. The more people understand the benefits of the project and the ludicrous nature of some of the critics, the better. As a scholar, I felt inspired to help our writers meet a higher standard of academic writing through a peer-review process. We’ve learned so much from each other, and our project is still ongoing. I expect us to pop champagne when it’s all done to celebrate.
New writers often make the mistake of jumping into the writing process without pre-writing. You get so many gems out of your notes.
LE FOOL: How can writers and editors of color who are on Medium and beyond join WEOC?
GAINES: Writers and editors of color can join WEOC by going to www.writersandeditorsofcolor.com and click Join WEOC.
LE FOOL: You are unapologetically proud of and whole in your work. What is a moment in your life that clarified this perspective for you?
GAINES: Growing up, I experienced racism but had many people telling me that America wasn’t racist anymore. At a young age, I joined the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, founded by Martin Luther King Jr. Although I’m not religious, this organization showed me the worth of advocacy in the Black community. In the aftermath of Trayvon Martin’s death, I joined the NAACP and wrote about anti-Black racism. I became bolder as I realized how many people who look like me have similar experiences, facing racism in their day-to-day lives and as an overall barrier for progress. I’ve also suffered a beating by a police officer, which still makes me flinch when I see an officer in the rearview. But, overall, I feel that it was a million little moments that added up to clarify my perspective.
LE FOOL: Leading with vulnerability and strength is something you balance as co-founder of WEOC with Teressa P. (Tee). What are some unexpected positives of cultivating a collective like WEOC you’d like to share? What are some unexpected challenges?
GAINES: When Tee contacted me to start an organization for Writers and Editors of Color, I felt so excited. As a positive, we have created a network of support for so many people, and we benefit from it. Now, we have experienced writers and editors we can share our perspective with, ask for clarity, advice, and share opportunities we come across. WEOC experienced some challenges straight out the gate. It’s not easy to bring people together with different ideas and backgrounds. It turns out, some people were skeptical of our groups’ intent, and others criticized members for openly talking about racism. However, at WEOC, we put the proof in the pudding. In other words, we are doing the work to create a supportive environment, a safe place for POC. Controversy is part of that bag.
LE FOOL: What’s your favorite thing about being the Editor in Chief of Cultured?
GAINES: My favorite thing about being Editor in Chief of Cultured is the passion of our writers. Our mandate is to “redefine culture with our writing,” and I love how each writer interprets this and expresses themselves. We have grown a lot since TC Hails graced us with her presence. She helped to create a modern look that makes me proud of the magazine.
LE FOOL: I recently learned a new word from you, “caucasity,” and now I see it everywhere. It’s essential to be racially literate and I feel your publication brings a much-needed update to what it traditionally means to be cultured. The publication’s mission is like your use of figurative speech: It brings new life by completing outdated metaphors. What prompted you to create Cultured? What can readers hope to take away from adding the publication to their feed?
GAINES: For me, being cultured means being worldly. To do that, you have to center culture around justice, equality, diversity, and inclusion. When people think of Cultured, they may first think about people wearing three-piece, suits sipping wine. But my goal was to broaden that to include Black people, Women, POC, the LGBTQ+ community. I hope readers can find stories that challenge the status quo and redefine conventional ideas about culture. Our writers make sure there is always something exciting to read.
For me, being cultured means being worldly. To do that, you have to center culture around justice, equality, diversity, and inclusion
LE FOOL: There’s an ongoing prompt you have, Black History 365. Why is it important for all writers to engage in learning more and educating their respective communities about Black History? How can writers participate?
GAINES: Growing up, public education deprived me of Black history. For Black History month every year, teachers would ask us to pick a Black person to write a paper about. I used George Washington Carver many times simply because I did not have access to many stories about Black people in our school library. Many Black and POC writers feel the same way that our history is marginalized. In the absence of Black History, we are only reading part of the story, glorifying white people even when they commit heinous crimes.
The Black History 365 project highlights stories are written about Black History. We have a particular interest in #hiddenhistory or #hiddenherstory. There are so many things I’ve learned in the process of researching these stories. Anyone can participate by writing a story about Black History (publish it on the pub of your choice) and then fill in the Typeform. Each month, we publish a compilation of these stories to educate the public and one another. If you choose, you can select a quote to represent your piece. We publish on the 28th of each month and are currently looking for some fresh faces on the project.
LE FOOL: There are some amazing features on your organization’s page, Justice Can’t Wait. It offers a place where people can submit incidents of social injustice to the activists of JCW. There’s also activism training, a non-fiction and fiction workshop, and knowledge sharing. Are you planning to add additional services as your work as a writer continues to grow? What are the next steps for JCW?
GAINES: I founded Justice Can’t Wait to create a social justice organization accountable to the people inside of it. Too often, I’ve heard complaints that people felt they could not access the founders of organizations or took issue with how they were being run. Too often, people use lack of access to leaders as their justification to steer clear of activist organizations. Justice Can’t Wait wants to change that. We plan to become a nonprofit that can address the urgent nature of injustices in our communities.
On our website, we invite people to report incidents of social injustice. Then, we can directly advocate for them and provide resources on their next steps. The next step for JCW is to build awareness about the organization, its intent plan and get some community buy-in. Our end goal will be to provide services to marginalized communities. For example, we want to give out food, offer homework help, start a conflict resolution center, and continue to train activists to make structural changes in their community. Anyone interested in helping with organizing, raising awareness, or brainstorming can reach us at www.justicecantwait.com.
Allison’s Work
Allison’s Website | Justice Can’t Wait | Allison Gaines
Cultured Publication
Read Cultured| Submit to Cultured | Prompts | TC Hails for monthly updates
Writers & Editors of Color — Publication & Collective
Read Writers & Editors of Color | Join WEOC | Co-Founder Teressa P.
Black History 365
Latest Edition of Black History 365 | Participate & Submit
The Case for the 1619 Project
Read the collection of essays | Submit | Project Manager L.A. Justice
