Tineka Smith, co-owner of Huetribe greeting card company has clinched a book deal with Audible (the audiobooks company that is part of the Amazon group) for Mixed Up, which she co-wrote with her husband Alex Court about what it means to be an interracial couple.
As Tineka, who yesterday (July 30) was appointed vice-chair of the newly formed GCA Diversity Sub-Committee (https://www.pgbuzz.net/gca-meeting-brought-publishers-and-retailers-together-to-discuss-diversity-in-the-industry-and-initiate-progress-on-this-front/), told PG Buzz that the book, reflects the “ethos behind Huetribe,” of recognising and celebrating diversity, addressing the gaps in racial, cultural and sexual representations in the industry.
Tineka was born and brought up on the American East Coast, before moving to the UK in her twenties. She works as a Communications Consultant for the United Nations and is also a diversity expert for the BBC (https://www.pgbuzz.net/tineka-smith-founder-of-card-publisher-huetribe-speaks-out-on-the-bbc-on-diversity/). Alex is a British journalist who has lived all over the world.
Tineka reveals that she and Alex “were initially nervous to share such intimate details about our relationship and struggles to understand each other when it comes to race, as well as some of the horrific racist experiences we’ve encountered as an interracial couple. But we felt our story was important to share to highlight the fact that being in any type of interracial relationship doesn’t erase racial problems and misunderstandings.”
As we’re currently witnessing the largest civil rights movement in history, Tineka sees it as her “duty to share insight into the shocking racism I’ve received as a black American woman in Europe that has been surprisingly further magnified by being married to a white man. I hope this Audible Original is a revelation to many about the deep seeded prejudice in our society and that it encourages people of all colours and backgrounds to speak up and take a stand against it.”
Such is the significance of the book, that Audible (which has secured the worldwide English language rights to Mixed Up: Confessions of an Interracial Couple) is to mount a whole PR campaign around the title, with activity planned for the coming month.
Victoria Haslam, commissioning editor at Audible said: “We are incredibly excited to publish MIXED UP, which adds fascinating and unheard insight to this long overdue, global conversation about our relationship with race.”
As Tineka’s husband Alex added: “Honestly, writing this book was a steep learning curve for me in recognising structural racism and my own white privilege. My hope is that everyone who listens to this Audible Original can learn about the role they can play in supporting people with different skin colours and background so we all can come together to create societies where everyone is treated equally and diversity is truly celebrated.”
Tineka has been one of the leading lights in highlighting the need to achieve a better understanding of and greater representation of diversity in the greeting card sector.(https://www.pgbuzz.net/some-73-of-brits-say-minorities-are-excluded-from-greeting-cards/)
(https://www.pgbuzz.net/opinion-why-black-history-month-is-important-for-the-card-trade/)
Top: Huetribe’s Tineka Smith and her husband Alex Court. (Photo courtesy of Suzie Hopper).
