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Quote by Ayana Mathis

“There were class differences among black people then and there are class differences among black people now. There is still an assumption among many people in American society that being black is its own class, a blanket class. That, I believe, is an erroneous and deeply offensive view.”

Author

Ayana Mathis

Ayana Mathis is an American author born in 1973. Her works are known for their profound emotion and delicate narrative, particularly her debut novel 'The Twelve Tribes of Hattie', which received widespread acclaim. more

“There is a forgotten black middle class in America - a group which is huge but underrepresented in the media and in art. It's difficult to talk about these things, because it forces one to talk in generalities, but that's my view. I do think the idea of a blanket class for black people is unfortunately still present.”

People Thinking Art Difficult Black Forgotten Middle Class Black People Blanket

Author:Ayana Mathis

“There is still an assumption among many people that to be black is to be lower class. In the last fifteen to twenty years, perhaps even further back than that, there's also been an explosion of a very wealthy black class in the United States, but those people are often treated as special cases: they're athletes, entertainers. Jay-Z. Basketball players. The country metabolizes the fact these rich black people exist, but it seems only to reinforce the idea that every other black person is limping along in poverty.”

People Country Black Poverty Rich Player Special Basketball Athlete Assumption Wealthy Black People Basketball Player

Author:Ayana Mathis

“I think a lot about race and the burdens of representation. There's an idea that because I'm writing a book set around the time of the Great Migration, and happen to be black, I'm trying to write a definitive account of the Great Migration, the so-called "black experience." That's not what I'm doing, and it can be frustrating.”

Thinking Writing Trying Book Black Burden Representation Frustrating Writing A Book

Author:Ayana Mathis

“If there had never been the Great Migration there would never have been jazz, there would never have been Michelle Obama. A lot of amazing black people exist in this country because of the Great Migration. That's nation-building.”

People Country Black Jazz Black People

Author:Ayana Mathis