Day 12 of 28 – Black History Month – Jessie Redmon Fauset

By: Ebonye Gussine Wilkins

Jessie Redmon Fauset (1882 – 1961) was an African-American editor and novelist who was an influential writer during the Harlem Renaissance. She was an editor for The Crisis, a magazine by the NAACP. She also co-authored a children’s magazine called Brownie’s Book.

One of her works carries a similar theme to The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man. It is her 1929 novel “Plu Bun: A Novel Without A Moral” follows a woman who is caught between passing as a White Woman or embracing Black heritage and culture. This was her second novel which sold over 100,000 copies within 90 days of release. That is a remarkable feat whether you were published then or now!

The complexities of skin color is not unique to African-Americans, as it can be round in cultures all over the world. It reminds us that not everything can be seen as Black or White. There are so many shades in between, and that is part of the beauty of us all.

Would you pick up this novel? I certainly will!