How will Cydney Rax Make History in 2018?

I love this question because it makes me think. And as a writer, that is what I try to do when I pick up my pen. Make us think. So in my latest novel, A Sister’s Secret, I write about what I believe are every day Black woman. About our hurts and pains, our laughter, struggles, triumphs, and our feel good moments. And how does one make history when it comes to real life?

I’m an observant woman. I can sense things off of people whenever I come across them. And guess what? Sometimes I must write down what I see, the things that I feel. So believe I am making history by chronicling what is happening in this 2018 world.

As a writer, and as someone whose books are available in libraries across the world, I can give people a peek inside the mind of a Black woman. Not EVERY Black woman because we are extremely diverse. And that’s a good thing. But, what we can do as women is realize what we’re excellent at and bring that gift to the table. That way we may benefit from one anothers talents and abilities.

It’s like going to a pot luck dinner. Someone will bring the ham, someone else the potato salad. Sister so-and-so is great at making a banana pudding and little sis can bring the case of sodas. Find out what you’re really good at, and we are all great at something, and then do your share.

Making history for me is about being very bold and truthful in the stories that I write. That means unveiling parts of life and provide glimpses into our personalities that aren’t pretty. We must confront the ugly truth if we want things to change for the better. And within my stories, we can take a closer look and hopefully discuss these issues amongst ourselves.

That is why social media can be a good, powerful medium if we use in the proper manner. Using it in a reckless way can be very detrimental. We should be slow to speak and quick to listen and learn. I have discovered that when I don’t get all the facts straight and use my raw emotions to chime in on a hot topic, I can make a fool of myself. I don’t want to do that.

In 2018, we should be heard and empowered by our truth but it also means being willing to hear the other side. I don’t think we do that enough. We are too busy yelling about what we believe in, screaming so loud, that we don’t stop to hear what someone else is saying. We tune them out. And nothing really changes. In fact, things can get worse.

I love to incorporate culturally relevant issues in my novels. It feels good but some experts caution us that as writers we aren’t supposed to reference current events because it will make the material feel dated. But in my head, that’s okay. Because we need to leave a reminder about the things, significant changes, challenging and life-changing things, that are currently taking place. We should never forget what’s been happening as of late.

The #BLM movement, the #MeToo movement, the unnecessary overzealous arrests and shootings or killings of unarmed people. People that no longer have a voice continue to have a voice when writers remind everyone in the universe what has been happening in society. The things we forget about tend to repeat themselves. Sometimes we want to forget. Hey, it’s too painful to remember pain, but sometimes we must go back if we want to go forward. We must remember and take those lessons learned with us. We have an obligation to the future generations to let them know how things were when we were here.

It’s our duty. Every story can’t be a fairy tale. But for me it’s just not about what the White man is doing to the Black man. Sometimes our stories must include the things we do to ourselves, to each other. And that is needed so we all can do better. We all play a role in bettering society.