Publisher's Synopsis
The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man is a novel written by James Weldon Johnson, an African-American writer and civil rights activist. The book was first published in 1912 and is considered a classic of African-American literature.The story is told from the perspective of an unnamed protagonist, who is born to a mixed-race family in the late 19th century. He is raised in the South but is light-skinned enough to pass as white. The protagonist is proud of his African-American heritage, but also recognizes the advantages that come with passing as white.As the protagonist grows older, he struggles to reconcile his identity with the racial tensions of the time. He moves to New York City, where he becomes involved in the music scene and eventually decides to embrace his black identity. However, he also recognizes the limitations and challenges that come with being black in America.The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man explores themes of racial identity, passing, and the complexities of racial relations in America. The book is a powerful commentary on the social and political realities of the time, and remains relevant today.As soon as we landed, four of us went directly to a lodging-house in 27th Street, just west of Sixth Avenue. The house was run by a short, stout mulatto man, who was exceedingly talkative and inquisitive. In fifteen minutes he not only knew the history of the past life of each one of us, but had a clearer idea of what we intended to do in the future than we ourselves.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
