A Mixed American’s Struggle for Identity in a Nation of Black and White
An excerpt from Marginal Eyes, Chapter Four: My dad strapped me to his back and carried me to the top of the Indiana sand dunes; he taught me to play baseball in our backyard; he kept me active at the library and read with me …
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An excerpt from Marginal Eyes, Chapter Three: Their voices boomed, rolled, and penetrated the air with a strength only Gospel can have. Many in the pews were clapping, others were nodding their heads, and some stood and shifted their weight side to side, putting their …
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An excerpt from Marginal Eyes, Chapter Five: Despite ridicule coming so frequently, few incidents presented a choice as stark as one did during my sixth-grade year. On a Saturday afternoon, the nearby elementary school hosted a youth basketball game, and I attended it with a …
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An excerpt from Marginal Eyes, Chapter Eight: One of the male staffers, who quickly nicknamed me “AK” (as in AK-47), was the picture of a hardworking and socially adept political aide. He kept all hours to establish his place as a valuable asset in the …
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An Excerpt from Marginal Eyes, Chapter Thirteen: “Stand against the trunk and spread your legs,” the officer behind me directed. As he grabbed me roughly around my mid-section to adjust my stance and started to pat me down, Tommy lit into them. “Hey, man, this …
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An excerpt from Marginal Eyes, Chapter Fourteen: I clambered to my feet and walked away from the group to sit alone in an austere bedroom down the hall. There I found a soft sleeping bag on the wood floor, and in the dark emptiness, I …
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