I never quite understood the urge my mother had for me to read this book during my teenage years. "I want you to read this book! You WILL read this book!" My mom was never pushy when it came to things like this, so I knew she was serious, and I knew she had a reason.
Thank goodness for mothers, and thank goodness for their motherly instincts. Black Boy by Richard Wright literally changed my life. It really did. It changed my outlook on being a person of color in this country. It changed my outlook on how we all develop hatred and ideologies regarding race from. And it changed my life in the way I internalize emotions, react to societal pressures, and deal with fear, anguish, and personal integrity.
Richard Wright is a brilliant and honest writer, and over the years, I've gone on to read many of his books, and pattern much of my honest writing from his - and again, from Black Boy.
So with that said, cheers to Black Boy, and of course, many thanks to my mom for the recommendation. I can't wait for the day to look at my kid and say, "I want you to read this book!"