About

Nella Larsen's 1929 novel, Passing, describes the relationship between two Black women, once childhood friends, who have chosen different routes in life. Clare was distanced from the Black side of her family and ultimately started passing as White, marrying and having a child without disclosing the truth to her racist husband. Irene, who is capable of passing as well, has instead married a Black doctor and taken up a social role in the Harlem of the Harlem Renaissance. Rebecca Hall's 2021 film is a largely faithful retelling of the novel that depicts Clare's envy of Irene's access to Black friends, music, social settings, and identity.

 

Our expert panel will explore many questions and issues raised by the film including the phenomenon of 'passing' in African-American life in the U.S., how it is represented in this and other literary works, and what it says about race relations and the status of race in the society. Participation from the audience is welcomed.

 

Participants

 

Henry Louis Gates, Jr., PhD, Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and Director of the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research at Harvard University

Evelynn Hammonds, PhD, Barbara Gutmann Rosenkrantz Professor of the History of Science and Professor of African and African American Studies at Harvard University

Adriana J. Umaña-Taylor, PhD, Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot Professor of Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education

Catherine Snow, PhD, John and Elisabeth Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (Moderator)

RSVP at MBB Passing

 

Supplementary Reading

 

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

One Drop: My Father’s Hidden Life – A Story of Race and Family Secrets by Bliss Broyard

Passing by Nella Larsen

White Like Her: My Family’s Story of Race and Racial Passing by Gail Lukasik

The Human Stain by Philip Roth

 

How to Watch

 

Minuteman Library Network

Netflix