‘Same Family, Different Colors’

Lori Tharps

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The South Orange-Maplewood Adult School will present its Eva Samo Lecture on Wednesday, April 25, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at Columbia High School’s Black Box Theatre, 17 Parker Ave. in Maplewood.

Colorism or color bias — the preference for or presumed superiority of people based on the color of their skin — is a pervasive and damaging but rarely openly discussed phenomenon. In this talk, Lori L. Tharps explores skin color politics in the realm of the nuclear family in the United States. Based on research conducted for her latest book, “Same Family, Different Colors: Confronting Colorism in America’s Diverse Families,” Tharps aims to answer the simple question: What happens when the people in a single family are the same race but different colors?

This evening is dedicated to the memory of Joan Lee. Admission is charged. For more information, call 973-378-7620 or visit www.somadultschool.org.