By Wallace Thurman

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At the time of its publication, Wallace Thurman’s debut novel was deeply provocative. This was due not only to its frank considerations of race and sex, but also to its vivid portrait of a Harlem that few other writers had dared to explore. At the heart of this journey into new terrain is Emma Lou Morgan, a Black woman who leaves her “color-struck” Idaho hometown behind and strikes out, first for Los Angeles and later for Harlem—where, unfortunately, discrimination simply takes on a new form. A controversial look at color prejudice across the country (but particularly across the tenements, employment agencies, cabarets, and movie houses of 1920s Harlem), The Blacker the Berry is a biting and enduringly relevant exploration of personal growth, cultural identity, and the pernicious influence of American racism.

Revised edition: Previously published as The Blacker the Berry, this edition of The Blacker the Berry includes editorial revisions.