Amari and the Night Brothers

Black representation is an increasing trend in middle-grade and YA fantasy literature. Historically, these genres have been populated by majority white characters, with characters of other races either featured in the background or not at all. Influential social movements such as #BlackLivesMatter, which began in 2013, created a greater awareness of the lack of diversity in the publishing market. As a result, readers demanded more diverse representation from authors and publishers. The trend towards greater Black representation is owed partially to increased readership participation online. Readers utilized social media platforms like Twitter to voice their criticisms publicly and campaign directly for better representation.

Because young adulthood is considered to be a gateway to self-discovery, it is important for young audiences to see themselves represented in the books they read. Seeing characters who mirror their experiences increases confidence and self-acceptance in readers. As a result, publishers felt an increased pressure from readers to host titles featuring diverse identities. Alston, like many other authors of color, has stated that he often felt that he was not allowed to write about his experiences as a Black man because he did not see stories like his reflected in the fantasy stories he grew up with.