The Problem of Black Skin

The Problem of Black Skin is addressed via a historical context, patiently explaining why it has long been a weighted mark of experience, identity, and value within society. The emphasis is on black skin as a cultural and social construct, but its spiritual significance and psychological ramifications are also evident from start to finish. Carefully researched, richly organized, and beautifully written, this book reminds us that as long as skin color matters, race will matter, and vice versa, thus rendering impossible any easy path toward the ideal of a truly integrated society and world. Moreover, readers of The Problem of Black Skin are exposed to complex and challenging intersections of thought from ancient history, spirituality, religion, and physics. Still, if read prudently, one also finds in this fantastic work practical guidance for overcoming the standard view of skin color as the source and rationale of othering. Thus, it addresses what really matters as it relates to black progression worldwide. In the final analysis, one discovers that racism is a byproduct of something far more sinister. At this intersection, the proverbial rubber meets the road, and the reader is challenged to consider avenues of thought that run counter to what has been traditionally deemed intellectually acceptable.

DeWayne R. Stallworth is a cultural critic, essayist, consultant, and religious studies scholar. He is the author of Stable Conscience (2013) and Existential Togetherness (2019).