A Journey Through Racial Passing in Novel "The Color of a Lie" by Kim Johnson

Abstract

This research analyzes novel the The Color of a Lie (2024) by Kim Johnson, that focused on racial passing, on how systemic racism shapes both the social process and the psychological impacts experienced by the Greene family, particularly Calvin Greene. Using Critical Race Theory (CRT) and W. E. B. Du Bois’s concept of double consciousness (1903), this study explores how racial passing functions as a survival strategy within a racially stratified society that privileges whiteness and marginalizes Blackness. The findings reveal that the process of passing unfolds through four interconnected stages: repositioning identity through movement, altering physical appearance and behavior, disconnecting from the Black community, and assimilating into white social and institutional spaces. Each stage demonstrates how systemic racism compels individuals to reconstruct their identities to gain safety and acceptance. The psychological effects include the fractured self, the burden of guilt, the fear of exposure to white society, and the loss of authenticity, reflecting the internalization of racism and the emotional cost of sustained self-denial. Overall, this study concludes that The Color of a Lie reveals how systemic racism works by showing that racial passing is both a result of and a challenge to white supremacy. The novel also shows that the search for safety and acceptance often forces people to hide or erase their true identity.