White Skin-Black Soul: A Family Book

by Sandra Johnson

Overview

Saundra Johnson is a white-skinned black woman who was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, in l943 during the harsh period of Jim Crow. However, she and other white-skinned family members identified as black and embraced its rich heritage during a period of thriving black communities and businesses. Although having light/white skin had some privileges, the first day that Saundra arrived at Central High School in 1959, it became apparent that her color had no immunity when confronting hardcore racism. She describes in White Skin-Black Soul,  her life experiences and the emotions and confusions that it illicit when mistaken for white.  She also focuses on family and family stories that are lighthearted and humorous, while others are sorrowful and tragic. Saundra concludes her journey with her opinion of what has changed over seventy-five years and what has stayed the same with optimism that White Skin-Black Soul will provide insight and knowledge for the younger and future generations. Although family members may differ in some areas of politics, social issues, and religion, she still aims for a collective consciousness of the importance of fighting on the side of “justice and integrity” for all people and the power of being a “free and critical thinker,” living in a democratic society. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780578656571
Publisher:	Sandra Johnson
Publication date:	03/10/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	342
File size:	32 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Saundra was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1943 and graduated from Little Rock Central High School in 1961. She then moved to California and soon started a short career in the entertainment field and airline industry as a flight attendant. During the seventies, Saundra attended the University of California in Los Angeles and received a bachelor's degree. In 1983, she earned a master's degree from Azusa Pacific College. After completing 3000 hours of internship and passing the exams with the California State Board of Behavioral Science, she received her marriage and family therapy license (MFT) in 1987. Saundra also received certificates from The University of Southern California Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center as a Sickle Cell Educator and the California State Department of Health Services Genetic Disease Branch as a Sickle Cell Counselor. After years of working as a therapist and social worker, she spent the last fourteen years working for four different foster care facilities as the foster care director. Before leaving the workforce permanently, Saundra worked as a part-time consultant for three additional years. During her retirement years, she decided to write and publish an autobiography about her life experiences as a teen activist, and as a white-skinned black woman living in America. She currently lives with her husband in Rancho Cucamonga, California, surrounded by her son and other close family members.

Table of Contents

PART ONE:        EARLY YEARS

PART TWO:       FAMILY DESCRIPTIONS

PART THREE:   ONE BLACK FAMILY'S CONTRIBUTIONS AND HISTORY

PART FOUR:     MOVING TO CALIFORNIA AT 8 YEARS OLD

PART FIVE:        LEARNING ABOUT THE DEPTH OF RACISM

PART SIX:          FINAL MOVE TO CALIFORNIA, 1961

PART SEVEN:   CONFUSION-I'M NOT WHO YOU THINK I AM.

PART EIGHT:     ENTERTAINER AND FLIGHT ATTENDANT

PART NINE:       EDUCATION AND CAREER AS A THERAPIST AND SOCIAL WORKER

PART TEN:        RELATIONSHIPS AND MOTHERHOOD

PART ELEVEN: WHITE-SKINNED BLACKS MISTAKEN, SURVIVING, OR PASSING?

PART TWELVE: DEJAVU AND SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS LATER