Parade of Shades

Forgive those who have hurt you, and forgive yourself for not always making the best choices. For the better part of her young life, Karen Baker reacts to people who either praise or resent her tawny complexion. When her mother abandons the family, she is left to help raise her younger siblings as her father unfortunately is absent even when he is at home. A biracial woman from a mentor program shows her new ways of looking at things and a positive change begins in Karen. However, Karen quickly learns everything has a price. Lacking a sense of belonging, Karen feels misunderstood in high school and defensive in college. Her failed romances with men of various ethnic groups make things even worse. As she journeys through her life, she gives up the idea that light skin and long hair are the main definitions of beauty. She also stops believing college graduates are better than people who do not have advanced education. Similar to Passin' by Karen E. Quinones Miller and Good Hair by Benilde Little, this novel explores African-Americans' internal color and cultural discrimination.