Growing up white in Washington state, Barbara’s dad never told her anything about his family—except that his mother was “crazy.” Ten years after his death, she learned his sister was living in Hawai’i. Discovering “the family secret” introduced her to the concept of passing, and the complex nature of race and identity. Uncommon in the white world, passing is a familiar concept among African Americans.
This story challenges America’s oversimplified view of race and explores how different individuals across generations pursued all available avenues of opportunity to define their lives in a race-conscious society. American history is not white history, although it has been presented that way. The times call for a truth telling.
S. Barbara Hilyer spent her public school teaching career in Ashland, Oregon, where she taught elementary school as well as middle and high school social studies, including American History. She holds a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instructional Leadership.
Held 7 to 8 p.m. Monday, March 4.
“Legacy Lost: Passing Across the Color Line” by S. Barbara Hilyer
