James McBride

An African American man describes life as the son of a white mother and Black father, reflecting on his mother's contributions to his life and his confusion over his own identity.

A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother

The Color of Water

Udit Desai

Lena 

Laura Hilliger

Hanna Cormier

Jaymie Lemke

Julia Rivera

Helen Bright

Ryan Mateyk

Stacy

kitty 

Ashley shackelford

Sarah Sammis

Hannah Yoon

Pamela Koh

As a boy in Brooklyn's Red Hook projects, James McBride knew his mother was different. But when he asked about it, she'd simply say 'I'm light-skinned.' Later he wondered if he was different too, and asked his mother if he was black or white. 'You're a human being,' she snapped. 'Educate yourself or you'll be a nobody!' And when James asked what colour God was, she said 'God is the colour of water.' As an adult, McBride finally persuaded his mother to tell her story - the story of a rabbi's daughter, born in Poland and raised in the South, who fled to Harlem, married a black man, founded a Baptist church, and put twelve children through college.

The Color of Water A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother

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