Normally it's my practice to stick to reviewing books that specifically address the complexities of either being a multiracial person, or being in an interracial relationship. I am making an exception for "Showing My Color" because as a collection of essays, one in particular stands out as applicable to Interracial Voice.

"What is Race For?" is a wonderfully insightful essay on the nature of cultural politics and race. Clarence Page examines the reasons for unease within the black community, from the notion that multiracial people simply desire whiteness to the fear that political strength will be lost if there is the opportunity to check a 'multiracial' box on census forms. He is not judgmental in his examination, and even as he points out the reasons for unease, he also highlights the folly inherent in many of those reasons.

I did have to wonder about the subtitle of 'impolite essays' though, since Mr. Page is never other than polite, humorous, and pleasant even when he is arguing. The 'blurbs' on the back of the book include the phrase 'common sense' or 'good sense' three times out of seven, and for good reason. But then again, someone felt it necessary to include a quote describing his new book as a 'non-threatening guide' to black American thought. The photo on the front is that of a smiling, sepia Mr. Rogers, but they had to get in a quote about non-threatening? Is a black man speaking on race such an inherently volatile subject that he had to be made obviously non-threatening to get folks to read his book? Very silly, but I digress.