A review by logandansby
The Autobiography of an Ex-Coloured Man by James Weldon Johnson, Arna Bontemps

reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I love reading Black narrative fiction, and this book provided a perspective that I had never read before. As a white-passing Black man, the narrator had the unique ability to choose between being Black and white. Outwardly, he was treated as a white man unless he disclosed his Blackness which gave him a dual perspective on race and identity. 

The narrator’s commentary on viewing life through a Black lens resonated with me, especially considering how central race has been to American society throughout our history. The Black lens can be exhausting because you definitely don’t want to put yourself in a victim mindset but it’s hard to mentally ignore when incidents happen that are obviously because of your race. There’s almost a hyperawareness of yourself and your Blackness is at the center of that awareness. Even now, Black people feel pressured to present themselves in the best way possible because it’s not just about the individual it’s about how non-Black people will perceive the race. For example, there’s been a recent attack on DEI with the notion that it gives people of color opportunities that they are unqualified for and undeserving of. This has been so much of a hot topic that DEI has become an insult. I'm sure Black Americans at prestigious schools and universities or companies feel the need to represent the race and not be considered as a “DEI pick.” It almost feels like you are striving to be the best despite your Blackness when it is despite others' perception of Blackness.

To me, the narrator never truly lived as a Black man, and that was never his fault due to his appearance and demeanor, which was nontraditional for Black Americans at that time. And his choosing to be Black to go down South and study slave hymns and elevate his ragtime career was weird. How convenient it was for him to take an anthropological journey down South to study Southern black culture and music so he could become a ragtime icon. Of course, that dream didn’t last and it got real. I’m not going to lie, if I saw a man get burned alive that would scare me white too. This moment highlighted his privilege because he was able to retreat to NYC and hide his blackness with ease because of his phenotype. It also made me think about what it means to be Black. Do you need the collective experience, or is appearance enough? But what about people who don’t have either, and then is self-perception enough? I really don’t know the answer to this. Race is a social construct anyway as we were all taught the “one drop rule”, but I don’t even think that’ll be around much longer, especially in modern times when there is more mixing of races. I believe who is considered Black will become a bigger question.

This book was an interesting exploration of race and identity. I enjoyed it. I feel like it's a book you have to read a few times after reading more books on race and identity.