Althea
By Linda Watkins 

     Sadly, racism exists even among the oppressed, and Althea told the story from the perspective of someone who had to live with this difference every day. This novella concentrated on the early life of Althea, a light-skinned, thin-lipped, freckled black girl who sought to find her place in society. Her early life was shrouded in sadness.

     Aunt Darnella was killed on her way home one evening after leaving Althea's house. She was one of the few coloreds who lived in the affluent white neighborhoods of Cincinnati and was haunted by a curse. On the night she died, she tried to explain to young Althea, while tucking her into bed, that the curse would be upon her as well, but to always remember to be proud of the richness of her African American heritage. The profound influence of her aunt, coupled with her parents' views on the topic, shaped Althea's life.

     Althea was taunted in school. An incident in Kindergarten shaped her entire school career. These traumas continued through high school and became painful to read. The misery that was inflicted solely on the basis of the color of her skin permeated her being, and though it wasn't talked about at home, it was recognized for generations. She was a product of the educational system of the mid 1960's, when race was a catalyst for internal and external change. The novella, Althea, brought this down to the personal level. The book ends as Althea enters military service.

     One might hope that Althea overcame her love/hate relationship with the color of her skin, but today, sadly, these prejudices still exist. We still feel the need to categorize ourselves as light, fair or dark skinned, as if one is somewhat better than the other. We must recognize, as Althea tried to do, that we are people and the variances in color can't be helped. Ms. Watkins has done a fine job of making this point in a concise manner with her debut novella.