Marting Luther King Day Reading

I have nothing to offer for sale today but I do have 3 suggestions of something for you to purchase and read in remembrance of MLK:

1. Broyard, Bliss: ONE DROP, My Father's Hidden LIfe - a Story of Race and Family Secrets.  Little Brown & Co, 2007.  Anatole Broyard was the daily book critic for the NY Times for 10 years and columnist and editor at the NY Times Book Review for several years.  His son and daughter grew up white in Connecticut but at his death were told that he was of mixed race. 

Written by his daughter, Bliss, the book is detailed, indexed and has lots of source notes. She spent years researching and writing her racial heritage that began in New Orleans Creole community, she reports on the culture in New Orleans before, during and after the Civil War and continues into New York during the depression.  I'm just finishing the book and am amazed at the author's writing and research abilities.  She manages to blend the historical facts with the social settings and turn her history into a very interesting book.

I think the book does a lot to explain the history of race and racial relations in the U.S., especially in New Orleans where racial blending was socially acceptable years prior to the Civil War.  The question to be answered: is Bliss, raised white in CT, still white after finding out that she has Black relatives? Or did ONE DROP of black blood, make her black also? What defines race?

2.    Lewis, Earl and Heidi Ardizzone: LOVE ON TRIAL; Norton, 2001. I've mentioned this one  before - A racially mixed woman marries the son of a extremely wealthy man of New York society.  When Dad finds out about the marriage, he "forces" (weak) son to sue for an annulment so that he doesn't have to pay her alimony.  The marriage took place in the 20s between Alice Jones and Leonard Kip Rhinelander - the author takes the unusual approach of relating the trial through newspaper reports throughout the country so we get to see the trial through not only the family involved but reporters. 

Racial intermarriage was not illegal in New York in the 20s but was in other parts of the country.  Again, a very interesting story (how often today does a woman have to disrobe in front of the jury to prove her case?).  How often does a father try to prove his son is simple to win his case? 

And the ending was quite surprising.

          

3. Tim Wise,  White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son Soft Skull Press.  A white man describes the benefits of being white.  I haven't finished it yet.


There are copies of these available on the internet.  Enjoy your reading. Madlyn