Don't Play in the Sun: One Woman's Journey Through the Color Complex - Rilegato

In a thoughtful and provocative book, Marita Golden shows us how ludicrous is the notion of ‘colorism’ and the painful legacy it has created for us all. We travel from the  girl child told to avoid the sun to stay light, to Nigerians using Nadinola to whiten their skin, to Cuba, where prisons—like those in America—are filled with ‘black’ people. And yet, the author sings a song of love for all the hues of brown and for the brown-skinned woman that girl child grew up to be.”
—Patrice Gaines, author of Laughing in the Dark 

“As a youth in the early 1940s, I wrote a poem describing what I considered an ideal girl, [which] contained the lines: ‘Her hair is long, black, and silky, / and she is high, yellow, fair.’ Truly, none of us are spared the marks of oppression. But some of us evolve. In Don’t Play in the Sun, Marita Golden displays with candor and insight her marvelous evolvement in the racially splintered concepts of color.”
—Derrick Bell, author of Ethical Ambition: Living a Life of Meaning and Worth

“Marita Golden has written a brilliant, thought-provoking book.  She voices the rage of brown and black girls who were taught to doubt their beauty . . . and she takes them with her on an emotional, transforming journey which celebrates self-love and self-acceptance.  Ms.  Golden is a healer, a griot attacking racism and self-hatred with wisdom, a lively spirit, and a generous heart.  She encourages everyone to enjoy their days in the sun.” —Jewell Parker Rhodes, author of Douglass’ Women 

“Marita Golden does a superb job here of providing an insider’s view on the lasting impact of the color complex, which, after centuries, still governs the way blacks are treated, and even how we treat each other. As this book illustrates, our American obsession with hues and shades is a particularly stubborn evil that has not changed so much with time as it has taken on different, more subtle forms.”
—Nathan McCall, author of Makes Me Wanna Holler

“In this soul-searching, perceptive, and healing journey through the maze of the ‘color complex,’ Marita Golden challenges us to jettison the mirrors of the past, see ourselves through ourselves—and cherish the reflection.”
—Paula J. Giddings, Professor of Afro-American Studies, Smith College, and editor of Burning All Illusions: Writings from “The Nation” on Race (1866–2002)