The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man
- First published
- 1900
- Reading level
- Plain English
- Price
- Free
About the book
"The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man" by James Weldon Johnson is a novel published in 1912. It follows a biracial man navigating post-Reconstruction America who can pass as either Black or white. After witnessing a lynching and experiencing racial violence, he makes a fateful choice about his identity and future. The narrator abandons his dream of celebrating Black culture through ragtime music, choosing safety and advancement over authenticity. This groundbreaking work explores race, class, and the cost of denying one's heritage.
- African American men
- Racially mixed people
Updated September 2026. Public domain in the USA. Text and summary from Project Gutenberg eBook #11012. The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man on Wikipedia.
