An autobiographical tale of a very smart man, ( who is part black / park white ) raised in the north who discovers the south in his late teen years. It is a story of discovery of the world as he learns music, hard work, love, and the dark side of life.

I didn't get the doom and gloom impression of the south from this author, however, one must remember that the author here can pass for white. However, at the end of the book, Johnson regrets not having taken part in the civil rights issues of the day and wonders if he has forsaken his race for a wife, children, and monetary success. A bit of a rushed ending, but was very informative and interesting to read.

This is a tragic book in a lot of ways. It is a reminder that America has not fullfilled her promise to all of her children. It would be great to read a book like this as an object lesson in the bigotry of the past. We have made some progress but there is still much to be done. James Weldon Johnson produced a wrenching tale. That it is somewhat autobiographical adds to the ambivalent narration. First the narrator feels shame in his heritage but then grows to accept himself and feel pride in who he is. This tells a tale that America is often loathe to hear but it is important nonetheless. The aspect of a mulatto man passing for white is sad. One should be allowed to feel pride in multiethnicity. This is a horrible stain on our culture that so many people had to live in denial of who they really were. This book is a valuable document of America's dark side. I would hope that it experiences a much deserved revival now that evidence of Jefferson's relationship with Sally Hemmings has reopened the discussion on this sad piece of our history. Read this book and weep but most of all read this book and learn.

For a book which was first published in 1912, this is an amazingly relevant work for today. Johnson's novel (hidden in the form of an autobiography) graphically looks at relations between the races in American. The nameless main character is born in the South to an African-American mother and a white Southern aristocrat. He and his mother move to Connecticut when he is very young, allowing Johnson to show us the benevolent face of pervasive racism of the United States. Johnson avoids the easy "good" vs. "evil" view of the oppressed vs. the oppressors. Instead, the narrator becomes a permanent outcast, returning to the South upon the death of his mother and then to the ragtime era New York City. The style of the novel is clear and extremely readable--and very current. The end of the novel dives deep into the issue of racism, causing both black and white readers to question their long-held assumptions about who they are and who they appear to be to others.

Like I said in a precious review, I like National University, but they could have chosen a different book. I am Caucasian, white, Christian, heterosexual, male, with blonde hair and blue eyes, and let me tell you, this book will make it seem that the whit people in this country are racist bigots. And that we are trying to indoctrinate every single child that comes to America while keeping all the other people in lower classes. That is how I felt.

I was shocked by how biased this book is. I am beginning to think that the publishers Allyn and Bacon have an agenda.

One of the only topics I liked about this book is the short parts at the end of each chapter that tells the reader different ideas for making a professional portfolio. But, I can imagine that there are other books better.

This book wasn't too bad, considering it is a textbook. If you're forced to read it for class, take heart! It's not too boring--once you get started, it actually moves pretty quickly, and you will learn a lot. If this isn't required for a class, I would not suggest curling up in front of the fireplace with this book, or, really, reading it at all, unless you're really into learning more about the basics of American Education.