Please don't apologize! If you strayed off-topic, it was only to take us down a necessary road. These things need to be discussed, and people need to be heard. The worst thing a person can waste is a chance to speak out.
I went back and read your posts. I think we agree on a great deal. Even if we're not on the exact same sentence, we're definitely on the same page. We're both angry and frustrated that marginalized voices are being denied their spot in the marketplace. We both agree there needs to be a fix and that the fix needs to come from both #OwnVoices and top-down sources.
I personally think the top-down approach is where we'll find the true cure. Focusing on #OwnVoices helps, but it's like putting a bandaid on a bullet wound. It covers the hole, but the problem goes deeper.
One suggestion:
Have you heard of inclusion riders?
An inclusion rider is a provision in an actor/filmmaker's contract requiring a specified amount of diversity hiring before they'll agree to sign. For example, imagine if Stephen King said, "I'd love to sell you my new book, but first—let's talk about marginalized writers."
Inclusion riders are mostly a thing in the film industry, but given how systemic this problem is, maybe they should become a thing in the publishing industry, too?
Of course, most authors could never ask for inclusion riders, but neither can most actors. That kind of change always comes from the very tippy-top of the mountain. Because a handful of writers carry the industry on their coattails, a lint roller could go a long way.
What are your thoughts on this idea? Is it even a possibility or a pipe dream?
I hope something like that happens soon because I genuinely believe this problem will never be solved until we have proportional representation. As you said, people want to tell their stories; they're just waiting for their chance to speak out.
I agree with fix the number. But to fix that number, one must first fix the #ownvoices and #culturalappropriation issues. Let POC writers tell their stories first. And should another want to retell those stories, then due diligence and all that.
But that will never come about if #ownvoices are drowned out by non-ethnic writers who perpetuate the belief that they are the ones who need to write #ownvoices stories, otherwise such accounts will not be told. Or, non-ethnic writers #appropriateculture not their own and manipulate it to their ends. Neither of these actions serve those who want to equalize the playing field.
A solution? Do not #appropriateculture not one's own. Rather, let's call it what it is: Do not steal culture that is not one's own -- modern day or historical.
I'm sorry; I've strayed off topic again.