Of course I'm a black writer. I'm not just a black writer, but categories like black writer, woman writer and Latin American writer aren't marginal anymore. We have to acknowledge that the thing we call literature is more pluralistic now, just as society ought to be. The melting pot never worked. We ought to be able to accept on equal terms everybody from the Hasidim to Walter Lippmann, from the Rastafarians to Ralph Bunche.

Summary

In this quote, the speaker emphasizes their identity as a black writer while also challenging the categorization of writers based on their ethnicity, gender, or cultural background. They argue that these categories are no longer marginal, as literature and society should embrace pluralism. The concept of a melting pot, which aims to assimilate individuals into a homogeneous whole, is seen as an ineffective approach. Instead, the quote suggests that the acceptance of diverse identities should be the norm, allowing different perspectives and voices to be considered equally valuable in literature and society.

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