Brown, Stick Around

Out of an antebellum era when the color of one’s skin determined social acceptance emerged the high yellow Creoles of southern Louisiana. Often a mix of French, African, and Native American ancestry, this sector of the Afro-American population was a tight-knit community with its own societal standards, many of which assured the continuation of Catholic traditions and European physical traits among their descendants. This color complex persists in minority communities today. Born and raised in an area where Creole children are typically light-eyed and sport straight hair, Blanche Aubert’s cafe au lait skin and tightly curled, mahogany mane brand her an oddity. To be accepted in Creole circles, one has to have the right skin tone or the right hair, preferably both. Poor Blanche had been born with neither. Her fair-skinned mother holds strong prejudices towards darker-complexioned African Americans and, based on her domineering attitude, these prejudices extend towards her own daughter. After accepting a counseling position at the parochial school where she has been teaching, Blanche enrolls in an adolescent psychology course. It is no surprise when her tyrannical mother sabotages her plans. This subterfuge becomes a blessing as Blanche escapes her mother’s clutches and spends a summer in New Orleans. Once home, will she have the courage to remain the free-thinking woman she has become? Follow Blanche’s emotional journey as she struggles to break the chains of her past…