Damn near white : an African American family's rise from slavery to bittersweet success / Carolyn Marie Wilkins.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Wilkins, Carolyn Marie.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Wilkins, J. Ernest, 1894-1959.

Wilkins, J. Ernest.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (202 p.)

Place of Publication:

Columbia, Mo. : University of Missouri Press, 2010.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

"Carolyn Wilkins grew up defending her racial identity. Because of her light complexion and wavy hair, she spent years struggling to convince others she was black. Her family's prominence set Carolyn's experiences even further apart from those of the average African American...Carolyn's parents insisted she follow the color-conscious rituals of Chicago's elite black bourgeoisie--experiences Carolyn recalls as some of the most miserable of her entire life. Only in the company of her mischievous Aunt Marjory...does Carolyn feel a true connection to her family's African American heritage. When Aunt Marjory passes away, Carolyn inherits ten bulging scrapbooks filled with family history and memories. What she finds...inspires her to discover the truth about her ancestors--a quest that will eventually involve years of research, thousands of miles of travel, and much soul-searching..."--Dust jacket.

Contents:

The black bourgeois blues

The research begins, 1995

The early career of J. Ernest Wilkins

Chicago

I discover a new ancestor

Memphis, Tennessee, 1874-1878

The renegade Baptist, 1885-1887

The people's temple, 1887-1888

The bigamist, 1889-1915

St. Louis

Farmington, Missouri

Blackness

J. Ernest Wilkins in Washington, 1953-1955

In Washington, 1955-1957

The Civil Rights Commission, 1957-1958.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780826272409

0826272401

OCLC:

781789744