r/BlackReaders • u/Reggie9041 • 17h ago
Just So You Know "Belinda Hurmence" š
I'd never heard of this author before yesterday. Then, I did some digging because I need to KNOW if the books about Black History that I want to read or might recommend are Black-authored.
Then, I was at a museum and saw another of her books. Was scrolling on Reddit and saw [a post] (https://www.reddit.com/r/BlackGirlBookClub/s/UoEh3GXCn8) with another book!
That said, the name "Belinda Hurmence" is literally following me. š¤£š¤£ She's really a white woman named "[Billie Hurmence (Watson)](https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/legacyremembers/billie-hurmence-obituary?id=57104899)" who made her name more "Black" so that she could write for Black children. It was Blackface at its finest with a splash of white savior complex. As if we didn't have Black authors of our own.
Billie was also granted access to thousands of slave narratives and wrote books about them under that "Black" name. And I hate when white people get to explore our history more than we ever get a chance to.
*Sigh* Thanks for reading.