This fascinating story follows the life of young biracial man in early twentieth century America.  He must confront not only the racism of the society around him, but also his own racial demons.  As the novel progresses, the young man finds himself faced with the dilemma of embracing his blackness and continuing on a brilliant career as a musician, or "passing" as a white man and earning a place of mediocrity within white society.

In this classic novel from the Harlem Renaissance, a biracial musician living in the Jim Crow era chooses to pass as white and deals with the consequences.First published in 1912, The Autobiography of an Ex–Colored Man is the story of an unnamed, light-skinned, biracial narrator born in a small Georgia town during the years following the Civil War. He knows nothing about race—until he and his Black mother move to Connecticut and an episode at his school for...

As the son of an African-American mother and a white Southern aristocrat father, the story of the Ex-Colored Man explores the challenges, successes, and insecurities that still linger in post-Reconstruction era America. As the Ex-Colored Man struggles between accepting his black heritage and passion for ragtime, and the desire to live a peaceful life, he ultimately decides to continue "passing" as a white man. Although the life of a working class white-man provides simple comforts and secu...

The Best Works of James Weldon JohnsonFifty Years And Other PoemsSelf Determining HaitiThe Autobiography of an Ex-Colored ManThe Book Of American Negro Poetry

He could choose how the world would see him—but at what cost to himself? Told as a deeply personal confession, this groundbreaking novel follows a gifted young man of mixed race as he navigates America's rigid color line. Faced with discrimination, opportunity, fear, and ambition, he ultimately makes a life-altering decision to "pass" as white—gaining security while sacrificing a vital part of his identity. Hailed as "one of the most important novels of the Harlem Renaissance," James Weldo...

The Works of James Weldon JohnsonFifty Years And Other PoemsSelf Determining HaitiThe Autobiography of an Ex-Colored ManThe Book Of American Negro Poetry

What happens when a person must choose between identity, security, and belonging? In The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man, James Weldon Johnson tells the story of a young biracial man navigating race, identity, and society in America. Presented as an autobiography, the novel follows his journey from childhood into adulthood as he encounters radically different social worlds. His experiences lead him to confront questions of racial identity, prejudice, ambition, education, music, social c...

A groundbreaking American classic that explores identity, ambition, and the search for belonging with remarkable honesty and literary brilliance. Discover "The Autobiography of an Ex-Coloured Man" by James Weldon Johnson, a landmark novel of American literature that examines race, identity, and the complexities of social life in the early twentieth century. Blending powerful storytelling with thoughtful reflection, this enduring classic remains one of the most influential works of African ...

What would you sacrifice if the world forced you to choose between safety and your true identity? In The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man, James Weldon Johnson presents a brilliant and deeply moving exploration of race, identity, and the search for belonging in America. Told through the eyes of an unnamed narrator born to mixed parentage, the novel follows his extraordinary journey from childhood innocence to the harsh realities of racial prejudice—and the haunting decision that defin...

'Living to Tell the Horrid Tales: True Life Stories of Former Slaves, Historical Documents & Novels' is a profound anthology that embodies a spectrum of narratives ranging from heart-wrenching slave narratives to poignant memoirs and reflective novels. This collection encapsulates the horrific experiences and the resilient spirit of those bound by chains, alongside the connected literary pursuits that aim to expose and abolish the brutal injustices of their times. The diversity of literary...

A bold, timeless classic of race, identity, and self-discovery — told with unflinching honesty and literary brilliance. Originally published anonymously in 1912, The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man by James Weldon Johnson stands as one of the earliest and most profound works of African American literature. Blending fiction and autobiography, this groundbreaking novel explores the complex experiences of a biracial man navigating the color line in early 20th-century America. Through the n...

Originally published in 1912, "The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man", novel by James Weldon Johnson, is one of the jewels of the Harlem Renaissance.This fictional autobiography, originally issued anonymously in 1912 in order to suggest authenticity, but also because Johnson feared for his diplomatic career, explores the intricacies of racial identity through the eventful life of its mixed-race (and unnamed) narrator. In 1927, it was re-released during the Harlem Renaissance under...