Same Family, Different Colors

As a woman of color, the product of a mixed marriage, and with a niece and nephews from yet another mixed marriage, this book really hit home. Through this piece Tharps is looking to start a conversation about an underlying and far-reaching topic affecting all American communities and she does so with tremendous sensitivity and courage—interviewing people in multiple ethnic groups, exploring history of colorism and racism, and examining the effects on her own ethnically mixed and multi-hued family and her response to having a very light skinned daughter. I found so many of the stories familiar but also counted myself lucky that the topic of skin-bleaching had never really crossed my path. I also want to take the time to track down so many of the resources or titles she talked about. All around a very interesting read that really made me think about my own views and about the world around me in more detail.