Trotman spoke passionately about her experiences as a Black millennial breaking new ground in a very traditional industry. Deeply rooted in social justice and empowerment, her storied career and insights gleaned from over 15 years of spotlighting BIPOC and women authors.
In 2020, following the death of George Floyd and in the midst of a cultural uprising, Trotman sat outside her home with a cup of tea to write her answer to questions she anticipated receiving as one of the only non-white executive editors at Hachette Book Group. The proposal for Legacy Lit was Trotman’s contribution to a conversation on diversity that she wanted to keep going in a sustainable way.
“I thought, ‘I don't have all the answers, but one thing I can do, one thing I know that really helps, is when jobs are put into place,’” she recalled. Trotman’s belief was that starting an imprint would allow for the hiring of the first Black publisher at the company. In doing so, it would cause a ripple effect by opening the door for more BIPOC being hired in management-level positions, while driving diversity, and uplifting BIPOC voices long after the trend to do so had quieted down.
With the support of the Hachette team, Trotman became Legacy Lit’s publisher and began making a statement in the business. “Legacy is a special imprint because of the community building. And we get to do that where other imprints or companies may not be able to because we're so specialized in a certain type [of book]. We have a very specific agenda. We have an army of people of the same interest.”