Letters in Black and White: A New Correspondence on Race in America

by Jennifer Richmond, Jennifer Richmond

Unsatisfied with the relentless pace and narrow constraints of social media, two Americans— Winkfield Twyman, Jr. and Jennifer Richmond, a black man and a white woman— rediscovered the art of letter writing and maintained a years-long correspondence about race in the United States. In Letters in Black and White, they share for the first time their exchange in full, charting their journey from wary strangers to trusted confidants. At a time when many Americans are dazed, confused, and angered by the country' s current state of race relations, they offer a model not only for having needed but difficult conversations but also for a better way forward. Marked by well-crafted turns of phrase, sharp wit, and sober reflection, they do not rely on those fashionable words and phrases that have been drained of real meaning or are hopelessly saddled with excessive baggage, such as antiracism, white fragility, and allyship. Rather, on topics ranging from the murder of George Floyd and the launch of the 1619 Project to the debate over reparations and the nature of elite black organizations like Jack and Jill of America, they tell the truth as they see it in their own uncorrupted language, speaking for no one but themselves. Particularly critical of both the ideological battles that fuel media programming and entrench political rivalries and the noble-sounding social and cultural projects that fail time and again to offer any meaningful solutions, they identify productive ways to unify across our differences— ways to find our common humanity and to mend America' s divided soul. Ultimately, they offer an inspirational message of hope and optimism for all— one that does not allow the past to define our present or predetermine our future.

467 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 23, 2023

Reviews

[Ronald J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exchange of letters between Jennifer Richmond and Winkfield F. Twyman, Jr. after she attended a diversity training in Austin, TX (she’s white, Winkfield is black). I had heard the authors on a couple of podcasts and was impressed with the depth of their conversation. These types of conversations are what’s truly needed to bring people together, not the sewer that is social media. I enjoyed these exchanges (emails, actually, about 76 of them). They are thought-provoking and illustrate what can happen when two humans really try to understand where the other is coming from, rather than grouping people into categories. The book ends with them laying out ten principles for creating a better consciousness about race:

1. Never use slogans, even if others do.
2. Never slur a group of people based on their race—and never assign a racial category to a group that is not explicitly defined by race.
3. Don’t allow yourself to become a caricature to gain profit and office.
4. Seek out differences in friendships and engage the larger world.
5. Live in the present, never the past, or even better, live in the future. We create our tomorrow with our vision today. The history of American slavery does not define you, nor does Jim Crow. There is something liberating in making one’s peace with the past and being able to focus on the future.
6. Don’t let others define you.
7. Let your search for purpose and meaning in life trump your desire for power, domination, or revenge.
8. Do not deny the full scope of your ancestry or family.
9. Lift others up until they prove they do not want to be lifted up.
10. Seek out truth and understanding wherever possible—even when others are unwilling to do the same.

My only quibble was the book could have been shorter. That aside, this is a worthwhile read that will give you a more nuanced view of our racial past, as well as the promise of what the authors call the “Blessed Society.”