aurora‘s manifesto was built on the foundation of celebrating underrepresented voices that ignite and replenish. This manifesto cannot be truthful unless we also support the Black Lives Matter movement. With this statement, we condemn violence, police brutality, and all injustice committed against African-Americans and BIPOC everywhere. As a woman of color with Hispanic and Afro-Caribbean heritage, diversity, representation, and justice matter to me. I may not have personally known George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tamir Rice, and many more victims, but in my heart, I envisioned them like family. It could have been a friend. It could have been a cousin. It could have been me. It could be my future children. Therefore, we believe in providing a space for people of color. Because their opinion matters. Because their voice deserves to be heard. aurora will continue celebrating these underrepresented and marginalized voices and continue to strive in the fight with the hopes of welcoming a better future.
We encourage you to educate yourself and explore the various ways you can support the Black Lives Matter movement whether by signing petitions, contacting your representatives, donating to organizations and aid funds, attending protests (safely), voting, and more. The staff of aurora stands alongside you and will be doing the same. For a comprehensive resource on the ways you can help out, please check out this helpful carrd and take action.
As a literary journal, aurora would also like to share with you some of our favorite readings related to black voices in publishing, black literature, and black writers.
- 7 Revolutionary Anthologies by Black Women Writers
- Black Authors in Translation
- What It’s Like to Be Black in Publishing
We’d also like to spotlight some fellow literary journals and presses supporting black voices in publishing.
- BLACKBERRY: a magazine (black women writers and artists)
- Black Poetry Review (black poetry)
- Black Sunflowers (black women poetry)
- BLF Press (independent black feminist press)
- FIYAH (black speculative fiction)
- Lucky Jefferson (marginalized voices with a new digital zine, Awake, featuring black writers)
- midnight & indigo (short stories and narrative essays by black women writers)
We understand that this list cannot cover all of the resources dedicated to championing the Black Lives Matter movement, nor the amazing work being produced by black and BIPOC writers and artists, and the literary journals and presses working hard to amplify these very voices. But we hope we have given you a space enough to start, and we hope that you will continue to discover and rediscover, along with aurora, the utmost importance of the Black Lives Matter movement and the ways in which we can unite and fight for a more inclusive and just future.
aurora journal 