““When I was younger, I always wanted to be a mermaid. I was obsessed with the idea of swimming in the ocean, befriending fish, and breathing underwater. However, it took over a decade to find one that looked like me. The cycles only continued after. Fairies, vampires, knights, witches, heroes, villains. It seemed mainstream media was committed to omitting black people from any narrative where they didn’t suffer in some way. It became hard to watch some of my favorite genres when I realized our inclusion was only to drive their plots, support their characters, or fix their problems. It was rare to see our own. And it’s not that they’re not out there. They’re being chosen to be forgotten or ignored by the favored public. Since then, I’ve committed myself to collecting as many Afro-centered stories as possible to share for those who were like me.”