Introduction to the Book

The book is called When We Were Black. I came up with the book, or the book came up to me several years ago. It was during one Christmas holiday spent time with children and grandchildren, while I was relating to my family's diverse tree, when one of my daughters informed me that her children did not consider themselves a color, speaking of black.

Initial Reactions and Reflection

Initially, I was insulted because black was never a color but was a very serious movement during the 1960s and 1970s. Well, I had to consider whether I had impressed this point to my own children and spoke to others who were having similar conversations with the younger generation. I felt serious enough about it to write a book diagramming my road to being black because back then you were a Negro or Colored on your birth certificate.

Historical Context and Personal Journey

Being that this was on your birth certificate, the parents continued calling themselves that. It was a big thing, radical, to tell your parents that you were black because, for many, it was revolutionary. A revolution is nothing but change, and we were attempting to change the world. I would guess that I am embarking on changing the world now because many do not see the significance between African American and black. There is a significant difference, which the book explains.