It isn’t news that books by African Americans are published less often than other demographics. According to the Lee & Low Diversity Baseline Survey [2023], only 5.3% of published authors are Black. The Cooperative Children’s Center (CCBC) reported 15% of books by and/or about Black people in 2024. The number of those that fall in the speculative fiction genres of science fiction, fantasy, and horror are even lower.
Hence why visionaries Milton Davis, Balogun Ojetade, and Morris Gardner. Milton Davis stated, “t’s a month dedicated to highlighting, promoting, and enjoying the best of the Black Fantastic.”
Since the early 2000s, October has been Black Speculative Fiction month. The purpose of this month is to bring awareness to Black authors writing speculative fiction as defined as science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Now, perhaps more than ever, the erasure of Black authors, artists and poets is accelerated. It’s incredibly important to recognize the contribution to these genres in particular as they’re the ones Black authors are disproportionately represented, for a variety of reasons.
You can learn more about how this celebration came about here: https://nationaltoday.com/black-speculative-fiction-month.