How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Sometimes I am angry at all white people, until I stop and think of the nice white people I have known in my life [...] And my own mother is part white, and I can't hate my own flesh and blood! (1.2.7)
Despite what the powers-that-be want us to believe, race is a pretty complicated thing. As we'll soon see, the Delanys aren't the only ones of mixed racial descent—they're just willing to acknowledge it.
Quote #2
Why, colored folks built this country, and that is the truth. We were the laborers, honey! And even after we were freed, we were the backbone of this country (1.2.10)
No matter where you fall on racial politics, no one can deny that America was built on slave labor. Isn't it crazy that a country would oppress the same people who helped make it great?
Quote #3
It's been harder for me, partly because I'm darker than she is, and the darker you are, honey, the harder it is. (1.2.12)
Throughout the book, we see countless instances of skin tone affecting the perception of racial identity. As we'll see later, this dynamic can be seen in both the black and white communities.