A memoir exploring the psychological impact of cultural assimilation and internalized racism

"I was driven by the belief that if I wanted to go somewhere I'd need to be something other than Black."

LaTonya Summers was only six years old the first time she unconsciously tried to be "more white". Recollecting experiences from her childhood in foster care through to her life today as an Assistant Professor and mother, LaTonya examines how her perception of self was affected by internalized racism and led her to adopt white norms - influencing everything from her music and clothing choices to her speech and values. Join LaTonya in her journey of realization - how all those years assimilating, stretching and pressing for whiteness harmed her, and how, in a world that sees her as Black, it's about time she did too.

Discover how LaTonya has truly "made it" by embracing and endorsing the Afrocentric norms and values that have sustained her and her family better than any white picket fence ever could.

(P)2023 Jessica Kingsley Publishers