A declaration from nearly 1200 publishing staff calls out the industry’s role in systemic racism and its failure to hire and retain a significant number of Black employees or publish a significant number of Black authors.
Catching up with PW's Andrew Albanese
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In the two weeks since the death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody, protests and marches across the country have demanded action to end institutional racism.
On Monday this week, nearly 1200 publishing workers added their voices to those calls. In a statement, they pledged to take a day off from work to spend time instead “in service of the Black community: protesting, organizing, fundraising support, phone banking, mutual aid.” Signees have also agreed to donate one day’s pay to one of a number of fundraisers rounded up by the group in a Google spreadsheet as well as making a monthly financial commitment.
“Think that about that — starting salaries in the industry are paltry, right? And many of these publishing staff are not making much money,” notes Andrew Albanese, Publishers Weekly senior writer. “It will be worth watching to see what the major publishers may also do.
“The petition specifically calls out the industry’s role in systemic racism, its failure to hire and retain a significant number of Black employees or publish a significant number of Black authors, and its pursuit of profit through books that incite racism,” Albanese tells CCC’s Chris Kenneally “It’s a powerful statement, and it’s on target.”
Every Friday, CCC’s “Beyond the Book” speaks with the editors and reporters of “Publishers Weekly” for an early look at the news that publishers, editors, authors, agents and librarians will be talking about when they return to work on Monday.
