MIAMI BOOK FAIR 2020 // "Red, White, Black and Blue: Highlighting America’s Racial Illiteracy"

The Miami Book Fair is now underway, and Kya Publishing is excited to be a part of the virtual festivities, featured in the Virtual Marketplace with a great collection of writers and book/publishing organizations.

This year's Book Fair hosts so many great artists, and a full schedule of discussions, panels, and interviews.

On November 17, we took in "Red, White, Black and Blue: Highlighting America's Racial Illiteracy" with artist/educator Keith Knight. Here's an overview of the event, followed by a link so you can check it out this week thanks to the convenient watch-on-demand Miami Book Fair platform!

This presentation really resonated, and Keith Knight's direct and engaging communication style made it not only informative but also thought provoking, and emotionally impactful. I felt this. Reflecting back, there were a few images that are still burned into my memory now. Pictures of lynchings and a still photograph of George Floyd (that I have deliberately tried my best to avoid) in particular were a contrast to the illustrations Keith is recognized for.

The lecture highlighted 25 years of his cartoons that showcase the sociopolitical perspectives of American society, with a slideshow as the backdrop to his conversation. A cartoonist, musician, and also the creator of a show on Hulu "Woke" (that Keith announced has just been picked up for a second season), Keith's perspectives were honest and memorable.

Many know of Keith for his comic strips: The K Chronicles, (Th)ink, and The Knight Life. Syndicated in The Washington Post and San Francisco Chronicle, in addition to MAD Magazine and the Daily Kos, his creations and their impact are recognized and rewarded for their poignant depictions of American life. Loosely based on his own experiences, the semi-autobiographical artwork is equally comical and informative.

Keith told stories about his life--born in Boston--and the impact of the city's racial history, through images. He outlined the impact of a high school teacher who assigned the class a list of Black writers from James Baldwin to Maya Angelou, reminding them all that "Mark Twain was not that be-all and end-all for American literature." This was a moment that changed his life and perspectives, and helped him to evolve into the leader he is today.

"Comics can change the world," he said, surrounded by a story about his comic in The Washington Post that addressed the military's "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy, that was repealed shortly after the comic's publication. He reflected on the collective PTSD of the Black community, the lasting effects that it carries, and how we all have to "know the ugly history" of many moments, public/political figures, and events, in order to truly understand the impact of race and the painful history of America.

The presented timeline of slavery and segregation was significant, in addition to Keith's words and reflections. As he spoke, he read through his various creations, and showed the images that have influenced many. The presentation itself was influential because it was a reminder that there are many tools, and ways of communicating messages, and yet the truth is still just the truth. Keith's version of the American truth has comedic undertones, and amazing illustrations to accompany them, but it still just is what it is: a system that was put in place to "keep a knee on the necks" of Black Americans.

"People don't understand the level of cruelty that went on," said Keith, speaking about the centuries of free labour that took place during slavery, during the post-presentation Q&A session. Noting that America's history is ugly, but it is time to have blunt conversations about race, in order to make improvements.

"If you've ever wondered about what you would do if you were alive during the Civil Rights movement, now is the time," he said. "There are people pushing, and we need to push back. There are people on the sidelines, but you can't just be a nonracist, you have to be actively anti-racist, and you have to do something about it."

There's still time to watch this moving presentation by Keith Knight, and Q&A with Nicole Swift: "Red, White, Black and Blue: Highlighting America's Racial Illiteracy."