This is a biography of a man named Walter White, who not only was the head of the NAACP in its early years, but also investigated a number of lynchings in the 1920’s. He was able to do this because while he identified as Black, he could easily pass as white. In fact the subtitle of the book is “The Double Life of Walter F. White and America’s Darkest Secret”. While Walter White is less well-known today, he was somewhat of a household name in the 1920’s and 30’s. He is also responsible for changing the NAACP into the organization it is today, and was a driving force in desegregating schools, the military, and government jobs.
While this book is fascinating, it is also very disturbing. The author describes the incidents that White researched in detail. The fact that these details are available at all is due to the fact White was able to investigate while passing as a white man. Although few of the perpetrators were ever brought to justice, the results of White’s investigations were sent to government officials, in the hopes they would do something about them. They rarely did. However, the information was also published in the NAACP publications and other newspapers.
White moved from Atlanta, Georgia to New York City right before the Harlem Renaissance, and in fact, knew many of the people connected to that era. His life in the city is juxtaposed with his research trips to mainly smaller towns, although he investigated incidents in Chicago and Tulsa as well. Many of the incidents related take place during the Depression and Prohibition, so we see the impact both of these things had on White and his work. In fact, the bulk of the story takes place between the World Wars, when a great many things changed. This would also include the Great Migration of African-Americans from the south to the north, in search of better jobs and better treatment.
If this was your family, how would you research them? Walter White and various members of his family could have lived their lives as whites, but did not. However, many people have taken that route. While a DNA test will confirm mixed ancestry, census records could also be used. If your ancestors race “changed” between censuses, especially if they moved to a different area, that is a strong indication. Was your family part of the Great Migration, from Southern states to places like Pittsburg, Chicago, or Detroit? Or did they have the opportunity to live in Harlem in the 1920’s?