Unfortunately, Black American Muslim teens are rarely the main characters in traditionally-published, contemporary young adult novels. In 2017, I was shocked when I learned at my local library there wasn’t a single title available.
That abysmal statistic pushed me to start writing these types of stories.
More than once, I’ve been asked by other adults why reading about diverse characters written by diverse authors matters. All teens deserve to see themselves within the pages of a book. Not only does it help them feel seen, but it also helps others to gain insight into someone else’s lived experience. Reading diversely can build empathy and can create a sense of commonality and community.
As a Black American Muslim woman writing from my own background and life experience, coupled with an active imagination, brings an authenticity to my books that would be much more difficult to duplicate by someone who doesn’t share the same racial and religious backgrounds as me.
Almost every teen I’ve encountered as a published author gets it.
Is a coming-of-age novel for young adults only universally-accepted if it features a white teenager?
In the past, the answer has been YES. The publishing landscape is changing but it’s happening today at a snail’s pace.
Authors from a variety of backgrounds influence my passion for writing. They include award-winning authors Tiffany D. Jackson, Jennifer Niven, Erika L. Sanchez and Sabaa Tahir, who have all written young adult stories that tackle difficult subjects. Their fearlessness gave me permission to write my own stories featuring teenage girls who are both Black American and Muslim, a dual marginalization that I share.
I purposely don’t write about sunshine and rainbows.
I love giving my protagonists impossible choices and the agency to seek out solutions. My characters need to have a range of experiences and emotions, just like real-life teens do.
Being a teenager today is hard, filled with challenges other generations didn’t have. I’m aware that some of the topics in my sophomore YA novel, My Perfect Family (i.e. teen pregnancy, running away, and family secrets) are not usually talked about in my faith community but they need to be. Ignoring or being dismissive of challenges young people face doesn’t serve them or in the long-run, society.
The complicated mother/daughter relationships and coming-of-age issues in Gilmore Girls are universal and served as an inspiration as I drafted My Perfect Family, which features a fractured Black American Muslim family.
I hope my writing inspires others, especially teens, to tell their own stories. Additionally, I want to serve as an inspiration to any marginalized person who’s ever thought of becoming an author. There’s a place in traditional publishing for the books they dream of writing.
In both My Perfect Family, and my 2023 debut, Fatima Tate Takes the Cake, I wrote with a freedom uninhibited by the negative opinions of those who would silence my voice.
I was fortunate to find publishing professionals who believe in what I write.
Every author, whatever genre they write, deserves those gifts.
