The Autobiography of an Ex-Coloured Man

The Autobiography of an Ex-Coloured Man is by James Weldon Johnson. The classic historical fiction story of a light skinned African-American who is able to "pass" as white. His mother is African-American, his father a well-to-do white man who will not acknowledge his mixed race child. The unnamed narrator describes his childhood in Connecticut, his brutal realization that he is "not white;" his decision to go South to college; and his later experiences in New York City. The story is moving and a powerful look at the African-American experience in America. This is definitely a book everyone should read.

Ratings: 10th grade - 9 out of 10 - AC (some mature thematic content) - P (racial language is of the period).