The Invisible Line |
Late Night Live
ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) Radio National
2011-06-13
Phillip Adams, Presenter
Kris Short, Story Researcher and Producer
Daniel J. Sharfstein, Professor of Law (and author of The Invisible Line: Three American Families and the Secret Journey from Black to White)
Vanderbilt University
In America race has always been a potent issue—and it’s clear from some of the reactions to the Obama presidency that racial tension still simmers beneath the surface of the American body politic.
If you were to look at the legal history of race you would see an intricate process defining who is black and who is white in America, and you would assume that there is a strongly policed colour line, especially in the Southern States. But according to historian Daniel Sharfstein the boundaries of black and white are far more fluid than they seem at first glance. He says that racial ‘passing‘ is one of the great unspoken-of traditions in American history.
Listen to the interview here (00:28:01).
Tags: Australia, Daniel J. Sharfstein, Daniel Sharfstein, Late Night Live