Blackcreole

Too White to Be Black Too Black to Be White: Recollections of a Mixed-Race New Orleans Colored Creole, in Limbo

By: Dr. Maurice Martinez

Narrated by: Maurice Martinez

Seen through the eyes of a native son Maurice M. Martinez, PhD, in this firsthand account of survival on a deep-South landscape speaks to the elan vital of a multiethnic, multicultural American.

Once upon a time, in the Land of Epidermis, in a place called the 7th Ward in New Orleans, there lived a group of marginalized Americans known as gens de couleur libres (free persons of color).

Offspring of the cross-fertilization of European colonizers, Amerindians, and enslaved Africans, were systematically excluded from free access to the fruits of the American Dream. They were defined by the amount of melanin in their skin, relegated to a subordinate status of segregated outcasts, and labeled "colored" and "negro" for having as little as 1/32nd of so-called African "blood".

Placed in an enclave of early Limbo, these gens de couleur libres created an enduring legacy of tenacity and resilience in their response to the illusion of inclusion.

©2017 Maurice Martinez (P)2020 Maurice Martinez

Real facts!

Since I'm from NOLA I know exactly what he's talking about and know many of the people he mentions. Truth to power. RIP Dr. Martinez.

Vulnerable and Unique

This is a great book that provides unique insight and an in-depth look at the seventh ward in New Orleans. An incredibly vulnerable and unique perspective on the rich history of a true New Orleans Black Creole.

I have the DVD & was friends with Mr.Martinez on FB

Nice to hear our Ancestors stories told from there mouths! Thank You Mr.Martinez for documenting our culture.