“Really? You don’t think you can take over another account?”
“Really, and absolutely no way.”
Nikkie grinned. “Not even the Lucia Silver account? And by the way, she’s up for yet another major role, which is sure to land her an Oscar.”
Jenice’s eyes widened and she jumped up from the chair. “Are you serious? Oh, my God, I’d love that account! But do you think the powers that be would let that happen?”
“I’m sure they will if Lucia insists. And I’m sure that she will. Consider it my parting gift to you. From one sista to another.”
Jenice raised her fist in the old Black Power salute. “My sista!”
Nikkie laughed and took her finger off the mute button. “Lucia, listen . . . have I got a deal for you . . . !”
Nikkie hung up, looked at Jenice, and started laughing.
Discussion Questions
1. If you think there was just one real reason why Shanika decided to pass for white, what would it be? Is self-hatred the main reason that most people pass?
2. Most African-Americans are familiar with the issue of passing, but most think it’s something that was only done before the Civil Rights and Black Power movements, when black people faced overt prejudice and discrimination. Do you think there would be any reason for a black person to pass for white in the twentyfirst century?
3. How would you react if someone in your family told you they were considering passing for another race?
4. How would you feel if you found out someone you knew to be white was actually black? Would you tell anyone? Why or why not?
5. Is passing for another race morally wrong? What about other ways of passing, such as gay/straight or Jewish/ gentile?
6. Do you think Tyrone fell in love with Shanika/Nicole because he thought she was white, or in spite of the fact?
7. Was Lucia right? Have other white people benefited from affirmative action? If so, in what way(s)?
8. Would you consider Hal, Rachel, Cindy or Mrs. Riverton to be prejudiced? Why or why not? What about Joseph? Do you think whites tend to be more prejudiced than blacks, or vice versa?
9. At what point do you think Shanika should have let people know that she was African-American? Do you think it was as difficult as she said, or was she making excuses?
10. Do you think Joseph should forgive Shanika? What about Tyrone?
Author’s Recommended Reading List
Nonfiction
Passing: When People Can’t Be Who They Are by Brooke Kroeger
Noted journalist Brooke Kroeger profiles six people who are passing for other than what they are (black passing for white, white passing for black, gay passing for straight, etc.) and explores their reasons for doing so.
The Black Notebooks: An Interior Journey by Toi Derricotte African-American poet and college professor Derricotte details her experiences and struggles with being light enough to be mistaken for white.
Fiction
Passing by Nella Larsen
This classic novel published in the mid-1920s explores the lives of two African-African women who are light enough to pass for white, and how their decisions to pass or not changes their lives.
An Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man by James Weldon Johnson
Another African-American classic, this novel follows the journey of a biracial man in the 1920s who was raised by his African-American mother but could easily pass for white. He switches back and forth between the races at will, and begins to lose his identity in the process.
The Human Stain by Philip Roth
A college professor is labeled a bigot and forced to resign after a joke he makes in class is deemed racist against African-Americans. The irony is that the professor is himself African-American, but has hidden the fact from friends and colleagues for almost fifty years.
Acknowledgments
I would like to start off by thanking my brother and sister-in-law, Joseph and Ayoka Quinones. They were, as usual, wonderfully supportive of me while I was working on Passin’.
I’d also like to thank all of the people who were kind enough to talk to me about their experiences in passing.
I’d also like to thank Zemoria Brandon, who was kind enough to give me some medical information I needed to include in this book.
As always, I have to say that my agent, Liza Dawson of Liza Dawson Associates, and my editor at Grand Central Publishing, Beth de Guzman, are simply the best in the business! I’m so happy to working with you ladies!
A big thank-you to my fellow authors, Daaimah S. Poole, Miasha, Gloria Mallette, Shannon Holmes, Tracy Price-Thompson, Zane, Eric Pete, Kwan, T. Styles, and Terrance Dean—I so appreciate your support and comments!
A special shout-out goes to my daughter, Camille R. Quinones Miller, who not only helped me by reading chapters as I went along, but also producing and directing a trailer for Passin’. And she did an outstanding job!
My niece, Takia Miguel, aka “Chocolate—Princess of Harlem,” also did her thing. She wrote the lyrics for a soundtrack for the trailer, then went in the studio to record the title song. Takia, I always knew you were talented, but you really managed to blow me away with this one! Hey y’all . . . check her out at www.myspace.com/chocmusik.
And I would be truly derelict if I didn’t thank you! I’m ever so grateful for the support I’ve been given by readers. I hope I never let you down!
About the Author
Karen E. Quinones Miller, a former reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer, is the Essence bestselling author of several novels, including Satin Doll and I’m Telling. Her daughter, Camille, is a junior at Clark Atlanta University. Karen lives in Philadelphia and is working on her next novel and a screenplay. You can visit her Web site at www.karenequinonesmiller.com.
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