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A Chosen Exile

A History of Racial Passing in American Life

by Allyson Hobbs

Hardcover, 382 pages, Harvard University Press, List Price: $29.95 | purchase

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Title
A Chosen Exile
Subtitle
A History of Racial Passing in American Life
Author
Allyson Hobbs

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NPR stories about A Chosen Exile

Dr. Albert Johnston passed in order to practice medicine. After living as leading citizens in Keene, N.H., the Johnstons revealed their true racial identity, and became national news.

Dr. Albert Johnston passed in order to practice medicine. After living as leading citizens in Keene, N.H., the Johnstons revealed their true racial identity, and became national news. Historical Society of Cheshire County hide caption

itoggle caption Historical Society of Cheshire County

Code Switch

'A Chosen Exile': Black People Passing In White America

From the time of slavery, some light-skinned African-Americans escaped racism by passing as white. The new book, A Chosen Exile: A History of Racial Passing in American Life, explores what they lost.

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