May 27, 2025 • 11 mins
n 2020, America and the world were spiraling. COVID. COVID shutdowns, high COVID deaths, and the divisive uproar over wearing masks frayed nerves and divided communities. Then, in the middle of the chaos, we witnessed the killing of a man.George Floyd, a man who’d run afoul of the law in the past, was approached by police under the false suspicion of using a counterfeit $20 bill.At 8:20 p.m. on May 25, 2020, outside Cup Foods in Minneapolis, Officers Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng, and Thomas Lane encountered George. Kueng and Lane approached first, with blue lights twirling—maybe even a siren. George was visibly distressed and repeatedly said, “Please don’t shoot me,” referencing past traumatic experiences with the police.At 8:21, officers attempted to place him in a squad car. George, unwisely, resisted, expressing intense anxiety and claustrophobia. “I’m not a bad guy… I’m scared, man,” he said.By 8:25, Officer Derek Chauvin arrived. George was dragged out of the squad car and forced to the ground. Chauvin then placed his knee on George’s neck.George was already handcuffed. Already on the ground. Already submissive. But Chauvin kept his knee there, applying his full weight to George’s neck.Kneeling is supposed to be an act of humility—of reverence, of supplication, a gesture one might use to beg God for mercy.But Chauvin wasn’t begging God. No, it was George who begged for his life. He cried out in search of humanity—for his humanity. He said more than 20 times: “I can’t breathe.”Still, Chauvin didn’t move. George then cried out for his mother: “Mama, I’m about to die.”A grown man, pleading for a breath, for his mother. Yet Chauvin kept kneeling, confident that no one would care about this Black man. To some, a man with a record deserves no second chance. So Chauvin kept kneeling, submitting not to justice but to cruelty—for 9 minutes and 29 seconds—until George Floyd died.This moment shattered the stillness of a world already shaken. For a brief period, it seemed like nearly everyone agreed: This was wrong. This was murder.I vividly remember the black squares on Instagram. The companies racing to fire employees who lied on peaceful protestors or weaponized stereotypes to suggest somehow George deserved this.Companies finally acknowledged what many of us had known for years: that they had a diversity and inclusion problem. They made promises.Penguin Random House pledged to increase diverse representation in its workforce and publish more books by Black authors and authors of color.HarperCollins promised to amplify underrepresented voices in acquisitions, create fellowships, and increase donations to racial justice causes.Simon & Schuster announced a new imprint for social justice and pledged to acquire more BIPOC authors. They donated to We Need Diverse Books and Black Lives Matter.Macmillan acknowledged the lack of representation in its publishing and staff. They committed to more inclusive hiring, employee training, and outreach to BIPOC writers.Hachette created a Diversity & Inclusion Council and mentorship programs for BIPOC employees. They donated to civil rights organizations and promised to publish more Black and Brown voices.It wasn’t just publishing jumping to be counted in the righteous number. Target, Microsoft, Apple—major corporations pledged millions to diversity initiatives and underserved communities.But here we are, just five years later.Reports from The Washington Post, Reuters, and business analysts show a corporate backslide. Hachette has made notable progress in BIPOC hiring and acquisitions. But others—Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, and Macmillan—have not provided updated public reports on their commitments. There’s a lack of transparency.And when BIPOC authors speak up about their experiences with these opaque publishers—about the lack of marketing, the minimal support at launch, the inadequate investments in advertisements—it becomes clear that many of those 2020 commitments were performative. Empty, breathless gestures.The biggest offender? We all know—Target. After loudly promoting their DEI programs, they rolled them back—loudly and publicly. And sales have significantly declined. I doubt they’ll ever fully regain the trust of the loyal customers they betrayed.There’s been talk that Target’s retreat has caused some Black authors to miss major bestseller lists. That’s not the full story. The truth is: momentum makes the difference. Local bookstore buys matter count just as much—often more.Don’t get me wrong—I love walking into a big store and seeing my book face-out on the shelf. I’m deeply grateful to every bookseller, clerk, and sales rep who’s done that for any of my titles.But let’s be honest: many Black and BIPOC authors lack consistent support from publishers. A publisher can create magic. They can generate momentum—or they can smother it. And I’ve wondered, more than once, if some of these acquisitions with no follow-through are just anot
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Welcome to the Rite of Passage with Vanessa Riley, the
podcast where storytelling meets passion in every page turns into
a new adventure. I'm your host, Vanessa Riley, and together
we'll dive deep into untold histories, reflect on current events
through a historical lands, share behind the scenes writing insights,
(00:29):
and explore the ups and downs of the author's journey
from rich historical novels to unforgettable characters to pop culture's
intrusion on the written word. Hey, we're going to explore
it all. So grab your pen, your notebook, and let's
begin our journey through the written word. Let's start your
(00:54):
Rite of Passage. Nine minutes, five years, still breathless. This
weekend marks a grim anniversary. In twenty twenty, America and
the world were spiraling COVID COVID shutdowns, high COVID deaths,
(01:16):
and the divisive uproar over wearing masks frayed nerves and
divided communities. Then in the middle of the chaos, we
witnessed the killing of a man, George Floyd, a man
who'd run afoulow the law in the past, was approached
by police under the false suspicion of using a counterfeit
(01:41):
twenty dollar bill. At eight twenty p m. On May
twenty fifth, twenty twenty, outside of Cup Foods in Minneapolis,
officers Tao Tao j, Alexander Cooing and Thomas Lane encountered George.
Cooing and Lane approached first, with blue lights twirling maybe
(02:04):
even a siren.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
George was visibly distressed and repeatedly said, please don't shoot me,
referencing past traumatic experiences with the police. At eight twenty one,
officers attempted to place him in a squad car. George
unwisely resisted, expressing intense anxiety and claustaphobia. I'm not a
(02:30):
bad guy, I'm scared man, he said. A twenty five officer,
Derek Chauvin arrived. George was dragged out of the squad
car and forced to the ground. Chauvin then placed his
knee on George's neck. George was already handcuffed, already on
(02:54):
the ground, already submissive, but Chauvin kept his knee there,
apply eying his full weight to George's neck. Kneeling is
supposed to be an act of humility, of reverence, of supplication,
a gesture one might use to beg God for mercy.
(03:16):
But Chauvin wasn't begging God. No, it was George who
begged for his life. He cried out in search of humanity,
for his humanity, he said more than twenty times, I
can't Breathe still Chauvin didn't move. George then cried out
(03:36):
for his mother, Mama, I'm about to die, a grown
man pleading for a breath for his mother. Yet Chauvin
kept kneeling, confident that no one would care about this
black man. To some a man with a record deserves
(03:56):
no second chance. So Chauvin kept kneeling, submitting not to
justice but to cruelty, for nine minutes and twenty nine
seconds until George Floyd died. This moment shattered the stillness
of a world already shaken. For a brief period, it
(04:18):
seemed like nearly everyone agreed this was wrong, this was murder.
I vividly remembered the black squares on Instagram, the companies
racing to fire employees who lied on peaceful protesters or
weaponized stereotypes to somehow suggest George deserved this. Companies finally
(04:42):
acknowledged what many of us had known for years. They
had a diversity and inclusion problem. They made promises. Penguin
Random House pledged to increase diverse representation in its workforce
and publish more books by black authors and authors of color.
HarperCollins promised to amplify under represented voices in acquisitions, create fellowships,
(05:08):
and increased donations to racial justice causes. Simon and Schuster
announced a new imprint for Social Justice and pledged to
acquire more BIPOC authors. They donated to We Need Diverse
Books in Black Lives Matters. McMillan acknowledged the lack of
representation in its publishing and staff. They committed to more
(05:31):
inclusive hiring, employee training, and outreach to BIPOC writers. Hashet
created a diversity and Inclusion council and mentorship program for
BIPOC employees. They donated to civil rights organizations and promised
to publish more black and brown voices. It wasn't just
(05:54):
publishing jumping to be counted in the righteous number target, Microsoft,
off Apple, major corporations pledged millions to diversity initiatives and
underserved communities. But here we are just five years later.
Reports from The Washington Post, ruters, and business analysts show
(06:17):
a corporate backslide Hashe has made notable progress in bipoch
hiring and ecquisitions, but others Penguin, Random House, HarperCollins, Simon
and Schuster, and McMillan have not provided updated public reports
on their commitments. There's a lack of transparency, and when
(06:38):
bike pok authors speak up about their experiences with these
opaque publishers, about the lack of marketing, the minimal support
at launch, the inadequate investments in advertisements, it becomes clear
that many of those twenty twenty commitments were performative, empty,
(06:59):
breathless gestures. The biggest offender we all know Target. After
loudly promoting their DEI programs, they rolled them back loudly
and publicly, and sale significantly declined. I doubt they'll ever
fully regain the trust of the loyal customers they betrayed.
(07:22):
There's been talk that Target's retreat has caused some black
authors to miss major bestseller lists. That's not the full story.
The truth is momentum makes the difference. Local bookstore buys
count just as much or often more. Don't get me wrong,
(07:46):
I love walking into big stores and seeing my book
face out on the shelf. I'm deeply grateful to every bookseller,
clerk and sales rip who's done that for any of
my titles. But let's be honest, many black and bipuck
authors lack consistent support from publishers. A publisher can create magic,
(08:09):
they can generate momentum, or they can smother it. And
I've wondered more than once if some of these acquisitions
with no follow through are just another version of the
black Instagram squares a performance. Look, Mama, we did something,
but then the cover's bad, the e book or audio
(08:33):
launch is botched, and the book disappears drowning in wrong
or limited search results. So I ask, did some publishers
in twenty twenty merely shift their knee slightly off the
necks of black writers, just enough to say they weren't
actively killing careers. George Floyd didn't deserve to die. He
(08:59):
was a man, a father, a person with a past,
but one who had a future until it was stolen.
I use George's first name throughout this essay because this
is personal. I want you to remember how it felt
you saw the video as a black woman. That could
(09:19):
have been my husband, one of my brothers, my uncle's,
or my beloved nephews. I'm not gonna lie. My heart
still raises when I see flashing blue lights. I don't
want to be Sandra Balan or Brianna Taylor. I have
books to write, stories to tell, and a family that
(09:40):
I need to be here for. Yet, unless you sit
beside me, you'll never hear the sound I make, the soft,
involuntary gasp of relief when a patrol car passes and
doesn't pull me over. That breath I've been holding finally escapes,
(10:04):
and in that moment I relearned to breathe. Books to
help us process what happened and where we find ourselves are.
His Name is George Floyd by Robert Samuels and Toulouse
Ola Rompuna is the Pulitzer Prize winning biography that details
(10:26):
Floyd's life and the systemic racism that shaped it. Why
are all the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria
by Beverly Daniel Tatum examines racial identity, development, and institutional bias,
including schools and publishing. Well Read Black Girl, edited by
(10:48):
Gloria Edam, celebrates black women writers and the importance of
being seen in literature. And of course I need your help.
Help me build momentum for Sword and see Spread the
Word and pre order this disruptive narrative about female pirates
in the sixteen hundreds. The Sweeping Saga releases January thirteenth,
(11:11):
twenty twenty six. Show notes include a list of the
books mentioned in this broadcast. This week, I'm highlighting the
doc Bookshop through their website and bookshop dot org. You
can find my notes on substack or on my website
Vanessariley dot com under the podcast length in the about tab.
(11:33):
If you believe like me that stories matter, tap like
share with a friend, and hit subscribe to write a
passage thank you for listening. Hopefully you'll come again. This
is Vanessa Riley
Welcome to the Rite of Passage with Vanessa Riley, the
podcast where storytelling meets passion in every page turns into
a new adventure. I'm your host, Vanessa Riley, and together
we'll dive deep into untold histories, reflect on current events
through a historical lands, share behind the scenes writing insights,
(00:29):
and explore the ups and downs of the author's journey
from rich historical novels to unforgettable characters to pop culture's
intrusion on the written word. Hey, we're going to explore
it all. So grab your pen, your notebook, and let's
begin our journey through the written word. Let's start your
(00:54):
Rite of Passage. Nine minutes, five years, still breathless. This
weekend marks a grim anniversary. In twenty twenty, America and
the world were spiraling COVID COVID shutdowns, high COVID deaths,
(01:16):
and the divisive uproar over wearing masks frayed nerves and
divided communities. Then in the middle of the chaos, we
witnessed the killing of a man, George Floyd, a man
who'd run afoulow the law in the past, was approached
by police under the false suspicion of using a counterfeit
(01:41):
twenty dollar bill. At eight twenty p m. On May
twenty fifth, twenty twenty, outside of Cup Foods in Minneapolis,
officers Tao Tao j, Alexander Cooing and Thomas Lane encountered George.
Cooing and Lane approached first, with blue lights twirling maybe
(02:04):
even a siren.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
George was visibly distressed and repeatedly said, please don't shoot me,
referencing past traumatic experiences with the police. At eight twenty one,
officers attempted to place him in a squad car. George
unwisely resisted, expressing intense anxiety and claustaphobia. I'm not a
(02:30):
bad guy, I'm scared man, he said. A twenty five officer,
Derek Chauvin arrived. George was dragged out of the squad
car and forced to the ground. Chauvin then placed his
knee on George's neck. George was already handcuffed, already on
(02:54):
the ground, already submissive, but Chauvin kept his knee there,
apply eying his full weight to George's neck. Kneeling is
supposed to be an act of humility, of reverence, of supplication,
a gesture one might use to beg God for mercy.
(03:16):
But Chauvin wasn't begging God. No, it was George who
begged for his life. He cried out in search of humanity,
for his humanity, he said more than twenty times, I
can't Breathe still Chauvin didn't move. George then cried out
(03:36):
for his mother, Mama, I'm about to die, a grown
man pleading for a breath for his mother. Yet Chauvin
kept kneeling, confident that no one would care about this
black man. To some a man with a record deserves
(03:56):
no second chance. So Chauvin kept kneeling, submitting not to
justice but to cruelty, for nine minutes and twenty nine
seconds until George Floyd died. This moment shattered the stillness
of a world already shaken. For a brief period, it
(04:18):
seemed like nearly everyone agreed this was wrong, this was murder.
I vividly remembered the black squares on Instagram, the companies
racing to fire employees who lied on peaceful protesters or
weaponized stereotypes to somehow suggest George deserved this. Companies finally
(04:42):
acknowledged what many of us had known for years. They
had a diversity and inclusion problem. They made promises. Penguin
Random House pledged to increase diverse representation in its workforce
and publish more books by black authors and authors of color.
HarperCollins promised to amplify under represented voices in acquisitions, create fellowships,
(05:08):
and increased donations to racial justice causes. Simon and Schuster
announced a new imprint for Social Justice and pledged to
acquire more BIPOC authors. They donated to We Need Diverse
Books in Black Lives Matters. McMillan acknowledged the lack of
representation in its publishing and staff. They committed to more
(05:31):
inclusive hiring, employee training, and outreach to BIPOC writers. Hashet
created a diversity and Inclusion council and mentorship program for
BIPOC employees. They donated to civil rights organizations and promised
to publish more black and brown voices. It wasn't just
(05:54):
publishing jumping to be counted in the righteous number target, Microsoft,
off Apple, major corporations pledged millions to diversity initiatives and
underserved communities. But here we are just five years later.
Reports from The Washington Post, ruters, and business analysts show
(06:17):
a corporate backslide Hashe has made notable progress in bipoch
hiring and ecquisitions, but others Penguin, Random House, HarperCollins, Simon
and Schuster, and McMillan have not provided updated public reports
on their commitments. There's a lack of transparency, and when
(06:38):
bike pok authors speak up about their experiences with these
opaque publishers, about the lack of marketing, the minimal support
at launch, the inadequate investments in advertisements, it becomes clear
that many of those twenty twenty commitments were performative, empty,
(06:59):
breathless gestures. The biggest offender we all know Target. After
loudly promoting their DEI programs, they rolled them back loudly
and publicly, and sale significantly declined. I doubt they'll ever
fully regain the trust of the loyal customers they betrayed.
(07:22):
There's been talk that Target's retreat has caused some black
authors to miss major bestseller lists. That's not the full story.
The truth is momentum makes the difference. Local bookstore buys
count just as much or often more. Don't get me wrong,
(07:46):
I love walking into big stores and seeing my book
face out on the shelf. I'm deeply grateful to every bookseller,
clerk and sales rip who's done that for any of
my titles. But let's be honest, many black and bipuck
authors lack consistent support from publishers. A publisher can create magic,
(08:09):
they can generate momentum, or they can smother it. And
I've wondered more than once if some of these acquisitions
with no follow through are just another version of the
black Instagram squares a performance. Look, Mama, we did something,
but then the cover's bad, the e book or audio
(08:33):
launch is botched, and the book disappears drowning in wrong
or limited search results. So I ask, did some publishers
in twenty twenty merely shift their knee slightly off the
necks of black writers, just enough to say they weren't
actively killing careers. George Floyd didn't deserve to die. He
(08:59):
was a man, a father, a person with a past,
but one who had a future until it was stolen.
I use George's first name throughout this essay because this
is personal. I want you to remember how it felt
you saw the video as a black woman. That could
(09:19):
have been my husband, one of my brothers, my uncle's,
or my beloved nephews. I'm not gonna lie. My heart
still raises when I see flashing blue lights. I don't
want to be Sandra Balan or Brianna Taylor. I have
books to write, stories to tell, and a family that
(09:40):
I need to be here for. Yet, unless you sit
beside me, you'll never hear the sound I make, the soft,
involuntary gasp of relief when a patrol car passes and
doesn't pull me over. That breath I've been holding finally escapes,
(10:04):
and in that moment I relearned to breathe. Books to
help us process what happened and where we find ourselves are.
His Name is George Floyd by Robert Samuels and Toulouse
Ola Rompuna is the Pulitzer Prize winning biography that details
(10:26):
Floyd's life and the systemic racism that shaped it. Why
are all the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria
by Beverly Daniel Tatum examines racial identity, development, and institutional bias,
including schools and publishing. Well Read Black Girl, edited by
(10:48):
Gloria Edam, celebrates black women writers and the importance of
being seen in literature. And of course I need your help.
Help me build momentum for Sword and see Spread the
Word and pre order this disruptive narrative about female pirates
in the sixteen hundreds. The Sweeping Saga releases January thirteenth,
(11:11):
twenty twenty six. Show notes include a list of the
books mentioned in this broadcast. This week, I'm highlighting the
doc Bookshop through their website and bookshop dot org. You
can find my notes on substack or on my website
Vanessariley dot com under the podcast length in the about tab.
(11:33):
If you believe like me that stories matter, tap like
share with a friend, and hit subscribe to write a
passage thank you for listening. Hopefully you'll come again. This
is Vanessa Riley
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