Black on White:
Black Writers on What It Means to Be White
Edited and with an introduction by David Roediger.
In this thought-provoking volume, David R. Roediger has brought together some of the most important black writers throughout history to
explore the question: What does it really mean to be white in America?
From folktales and slave narratives to contemporary essays, poetry, and fiction, black writers have long been among America's keenest
students of white consciousness and white behavior, but until now much of this writing has been ignored. Black on White reverses
this trend by presenting the work of more than fifty major figures, including James Baldwin, Derrick Bell, Ralph Ellison, W.E.B. Du Bois,
bell hooks, Toni Morrison, and Alice Walker to take a closer look at the many meanings of whiteness in our society.
Rich in irony, artistry, passion, and common sense, these reflections on what Langston Hughes called "the ways of white folks"
illustrate how whiteness as a racial identity derives its meaning not as a biological category but as a social construct designed to
uphold racial inequality. Powerful and compelling, Black on White provides a much-needed perspective that is sure to have a major impact
on the study of race and race relations in America.
“The self-awareness and beauty found throughout Black on White are a healing salve for a minority psychically savaged by the
likes of The Bell Curve and affirmative action's ‘merit’ debate.”
—The Village Voice
From folktales and slave narratives to contemporary essays and fiction, Black on White brings together the work of more than fifty black
writes to take a close look at the many meaning of whiteness in America. A “remarkable” (Artforum), “trailblazing” (Booklist)
anthology, it adds a much-needed perspective to the current discussion about race.
Paperback Edition New York: Schocken Books, 1999.
ISBN-10: 0805211144
ISBN-13: 978-0805211146