MaryAnn Diorio @DrMaryAnnDiorio
A few months ago, I published my fourth
and latest novel, titled In
Black and White. It is an interracial love story
between a white woman and a black man, set in 1950s America and Ghana, a period
of intense racial prejudice in both countries.
Interestingly, I got the idea for
this story way back in the early 90s. Although I started writing the novel at
that time, I didn't get very far with it because the timing wasn't right. Somehow,
I knew, on a gut level, that this story would have to wait to be written. It
was a case of my not being ready psychologically, professionally, and, most of
all, spiritually to write this story. It was also a case of God's timing. God
had a work to do in me before this story could be born. It was neither my time,
nor His.
I grew up in the 1950s, the time
period during which In
Black and White takes place. I lived about 30 miles from Levittown,
Pennsylvania, an all-white suburban community that made national headlines
because of racial discrimination against a black family that had moved into the
community. (An insightful, heart-wrenching documentary titled "Crisis in
Levittown" was made of this incident. For those of you who are interested
in viewing it, here is the link to the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXQQ9o3R-Rc).
Prejudice was in the air back
then. It was common to hear unkind talk about "colored people" who
moved into neighborhoods and caused property values to plummet and crime to
soar. Strangely—and thankfully--those comments did not penetrate my soul, as my
best childhood friend was a black girl who lived on my street.
Growing up with a close black
friend taught me much about people and about life. I learned that my friend and
I were very much alike. We both experienced the emotions of life in much the
same way. We both worried about tests at school. We both feared the gnarly old
lady who lived in the rickety house on our street. We both had great fun
visiting the ice cream shop on the corner at the top of the hill. Except for
our skin color, we were two normal kids trying to understand the confusing
messages about "white' and "colored" that came from some
grownups in the world around us.
The years transpired. I went to
college, earned my bachelor's degree, and then went on to earn a graduate
degree. I also married a wonderful man to whom I have been married for 50
blessed years.
Prejudice reared its ugly head
again when I applied for a teaching job in a prominent school district in a
major mid-western city. When I appeared for my interview with the superintendent
of the school district, he took one look at me and at my name (I am an
olive-skinned Italian) and gruffly said, "Go back to your own
people!" No consideration of my educational credentials, my teaching
experience. Nothing.
His words struck my soul like a
nuclear bomb. For the first time in my life, I was speechless. Never had I
experienced prejudice on a personal level. And it stung! (Read Part 2 - March 25)
