Itâs not offensive to be blunt about a characterâs race. Youâll want to work it in naturally, though, as you would any telling detail in your story. For example, something introductory along the lines of these would be perfectly fine:
She was African American, the deep brown complexion she inherited from her mother, though her eyes, dark as smoke, she definitely got from her father.
He pegged her as African-American, with the rich coloring of golden copper.
She shifted in her chair, feeling awkward. Being the only Black girl in the room, everyoneâs eyes instantly locked on her as the professor⌠[etc etc]
It really depends on the moment and the storyâs style how youâd like to introduce race (especially if race doesnât exist as we know it in your story). Thereâs certain aspects to consider, though, such as narrative voice.
Here is a book passage that clearly and naturally introduces the race of the main character:
Most people would chalk me up as your basic offspring of a mixed-raced marriage. I had skin people of poetic bent called CafĂŠ au lait and which I called, to myself at least, âmy daddy shagged a White womanâ brown. I had in-between hair, a thick umber mane that resisted dreadlocks, braids, and every other form of styling. And I had Dadâs features, or so my Aunt Aggie always told me, which I liked; all of Dadâs pictures pegged him for a looker of the Denzel Washington variety. -Faerie Blood, Angela Korraâti
This paragraph is jam-packed with indications of the characterâs race (and also, character voice). We learn sheâs Black and White not just because she mentions being the offspring of a mixed-race marriage, seeing as that can be a mix of anything, but because she makes the âdaddy shagged a White womanâ jest, notes how Afro hairstyles donât work with her, which builds the assumption of her being part Black, and then compares her father to a Black celebrity.Â
[However:Â Note the above does use a food description, albeit a bit mockingly, but food-skin comparisons are something generally to avoid.]
Here are some examples of descriptors of the characterâs race threaded throughout the story. This is from Fire Baptized by Kenya Wright.
âHeart pounding, I stayed close to the buildings, hoping my brown skin would blend with the nightâs shadows. Cold rain dripped into my eyes. My wet dreadlocks fell onto my face, sticking to my cheeks and blocking my view.â (Skin tone noted in comparison to settings, hair noted in similar fashion as the elements affect the characterâs hair)
âYouâre a sexy Mixie, arenât you? Dark, like chocolate. You Haitian?â (See! This was a major creep. Noo choco-comparisons no! Anyhow, someone else noting the characterâs race, another method)
âI donât find that funny.â I backed away from him and crossed my arms around my chest. âEspecially since iâm Black. Cut to the chase, and tell me whatâs going on.â (Situational instance of noting race)
So you see, thereâs no one way to introduce a characterâs race and thereâs definitely nothing wrong with being blunt. Be creative about it, and as you would with any story, and spot out those natural openings where character description would be appropriate.