The Invisible Line
A Secret History of Race in America

I have always been fascinated with ambiguity, especially where race and gender are concerned. So much of what we understand to be writ in stone is barely writ at all. The passage across perceived lines of race and gender is difficult or simple depending on when and where you live and how affluent or......more

This outstanding history of the concept of race in America focuses on the overlooked mass migration from black to white as many African Americans gave up their identities in return for the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. As blacks, they suffered restrictions on the ability to e......more

This book is fascinating! I thoroughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend it to anyone interested in history and/or the experience of race. It tracks 3 American families who 'crossed the race line' at different points in history - the Gibsons, Spencers, and Walls. When I first started, I found th......more

This book greatly exceeded my expectations! I became interested in the topic when I discovered several years ago that my great-grandfather crossed the color line and his children covered the tracks. This fabulously researched narrative of three families breaks open the taboo subject and exposes it f......more

Sharfstein is a law professor who has done an excellent job of researching and writing about three extended families that “made the journey from black to white at different points in American history.” What I will take away from this book is an awareness that, in determining racial classification, r......more