April 6

Life on the Color Line: The True Story of a White Boy Who Discovered He Was Black
By Gregory Williams

As a child, Gregory Williams lived in Virginia with his parents and three younger siblings.  At age 10 his family life is suddenly disrupted when his parents split up, and Greg and a brother move to Muncie, Indiana with their father.  Greg discovers that all of his father's relatives are African-American and that his own father, whom the family referred to as Italian, was actually mixed race.  Greg thus finds himself the object of prejudice from blacks who regard the white-skinned, straight-haired boy as white while whites regard Greg as a member of his father's African-American family.  If that weren't enough for an adolescent to deal with, Greg's father slips into alcoholism and leaves his two sons on their own.  Thankfully, a mother figure steps forward in the form of "Miss Dora".  An older black woman who is poor and widowed, she provides a home for the brothers and encourages them to do their schoolwork.  There are many struggles along the way, but Greg excels at school, eventually earns a law degree, and is serving as a law school dean at the time this book is published.

Greg grew up before the civil rights reforms of the 60's - but it's sad to realize we still have a long way to go towards equality in our country.  This story illustrates that it is society - not biology - that creates these racial distinctions, and that many people tend to accept you based on your appearance or, perhaps, where you live. Greg opted to embrace his African-American heritage and went on to a very successful career.