exercise all the privilegesthat come along with being white during this period ofhistory in America. If they decide to identify themselvesas African-American they will be denied many of the mostbasic privileges given to American citizens. This book explores the trap that light-skinnedAfrican-Americans are put in by the Plessy vs. Fergusonruling of "separate, but equal." This ruling is inreality, separate, but not anywhere near equal. Passingproves this to be true. African-Americans would not evenentertain the idea of "passing" if they were not beingdenied certain rights and privileges. This book is a valuable account of the tragicconsequences of being denied racial identity due to a courtdecision and a society which perpetuates this unfoundedprejudice. Is it better to deny one's racial heritage oraccept it and identify with it. This book shows how bothchoices are loaded with a number of adverse consequences. After reading Passing, the reader will see that this is byno means a black and white issue, but rather a complexseries of stages of gray. Whether you are familiar withHarlem Renaissance and this period in history or this isyour first journey into exploring what society was like inthe 11920's you stand to learn a lot from Nella Larsen'sclassic, Passing....
