Books like Color Me Dark by Patricia McKissack
Nellie, a teenage girl from Bradford Corners, Tennessee, writes a candid diary that captures her family's life amid the racial terror of the KKK. The murder of her Uncle Pace and the community’s staunch segregation along a single road set the stage for a bitter introspection of prejudice and the limited avenues for black medical care.
Seeking a better future, Mr. Love and his sister Erma Jean relocate to Chicago, hoping for a less hostile environment. Yet the city’s deeper undercurrents—bribery, covert racism, and the violent Red Summer of 1919—shatter that expectation. A gregarious crowd’s mob attack on Lake Michigan culminates in 38 deaths and hundreds injured, reinforcing de‑facto segregation even in the North.
Through prayer and perseverance, Nellie's family clings to their cherished values. The diary concludes on New Year's Eve 1919, offering a sober reflection on the year’s bloodshed and the family’s resilience amid relentless hostility.
First publish date: 2000
Genre: Children's Fiction/Early Readers
Authors: Patricia McKissack
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