Guest post written by Pamela N. Harris
Pamela N. Harris was born and somewhat raised in Newport News, Virginia, also affectionately known as “Bad News.” A former school counselor by day, she received her bachelor’s in English and a master’s in school counseling at Old Dominion University, her M.F.A in creative writing at Fairleigh Dickinson University, and a Ph.D. in counselor education and supervision at William and Mary. When she isn’t writing, Pam is rewatching Leonardo DiCaprio movies, playing with her kiddos and pretending to enjoy exercising. For more info on Pam, visit her website.
All together now: 2020 was rough.
Even as I write this, about two weeks into the year 2021, we’re seeing the residual effects of the chaos that was 2020. COVID-19 cases are growing at rapid rates, and the storming of the Capitol showed just how divided we are. As a Black person, some of these experiences and images were quite traumatic.
But still, I giggled this morning at my children having a silly moment together.
That’s what I learned from my family. In fact, after talking to many of my Black friends, I realized this is a common theme in their families, too. We find humor through the tears. No matter how tough things get (and, believe me, they can get tough with a capital T), laughter contributes to our resilience. And this is what I wanted to bring to light in my debut novel, When You Look Like Us.
Yes, When You Look Like Us can get quite dark. After all, it focuses on a Black teenager named Jay whose older sister goes missing. However, since he lives in a community where missing Black girls are often overlooked, it’s up to him to try to find her and bring her home. Despite the many obstacles Jay faces during his search (some of them stemming from systemic racism), he still takes moments to crack jokes with his best friend or share a meal with his grandmother. Or even fall in love.
And this was very much intentional. When plotlines got too heavy, it was important for me to weave in small moments of levity. I believe it’s necessary for readers to not only see Black people hurting but also how Black people laugh and love and shine. Black joy is the mirror to Black pain; Black joy helps us resist and defy systemic racism and microaggressions. Readers should see characters experience both Black joy and Black pain because it’s realistic. For every moment that I’m followed in a store, or told, “You sound so professional” (with the second half of the statement, “…for a Black girl,” consciously withheld), there are just as many moments when I’m having a laughing fest with my girls or a dance party with my kids.
You see, it’s important to have ebbs along with the flows. Sunshine along with the rain. Black joy to steady the Black pain. That’s why we need authors like Nic Stone, Tiffany D. Jackson, Leah Johnson, and Elise Bryant. Authors who write about hard-hitting, realistic issues that Black individuals face, as well as the silly shenanigans we can get into — and these authors balance both. These authors write the stories I want my children to read.
Just like those authors’ stories, my goal was to make sure Jay’s journey balanced pain with joy, showing resilience in the face of adversity because despite the things we carry, Black people aren’t the angry stereotypes that are often portrayed. Just like everyone else, we laugh, dance, and even smile.
