What I'm reading now

The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man ~ by James Weldon Johnson, 1912 (my edition, 2011), fiction with biographical introduction, 118 pages

First published anonymously in 1912, this is James Weldon Johnson's fictional account of a young biracial man living in America during the second half of the 19th century and early part of the 20th century.  The so-called "ex-colored" man makes his living as a jazz pianist playing ragtime music at a popular New York club.  It is here that he catches the attention of a wealthy white gentleman who takes a curious interest in him and employs him to play at his parties.  Although he becomes friends with the man, a feeling of subservience reminiscent of slavery prompts him to part ways.  He travels to the South, where he intends to work on his music in an attempt to glorify the artistry of his race.  However, after witnessing a terribly horrific lynching, he abandons his desire to embrace his black heritage, opting instead to "pass" as a white man.  This book explores the complexity of race relations between whites and blacks in America and the search for racial identity by a man of mixed ethnicity.  Through the experiences of its unnamed protagonist, the issues of class, race, and discrimination are discussed with an openness that was unusual in the literature of the time.

* Click on the book's title to read what I posted about this book in February.

** Footnote added after reading the book:  The author used the word "mulatto," now considered outdated and offensive, three times in this book (my Kindle search shows).