The Blacker the Berry (novel)

The Blacker the Berry
Dust jacket by Aaron Douglas
AuthorWallace Thurman
LanguageEnglish
GenreAfrican-American Literature
PublisherThe Macaulay Company
Publication date
1929
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint Hardcover
Pages254

The Blacker the Berry: A Novel of Negro Life (1929) is a novel by American author Wallace Thurman, associated with the Harlem Renaissance. The novel tells the story of Emma Lou Morgan, a young black woman with dark skin. It begins in Boise, Idaho and follows Emma Lou in her journey to college at USC and a move to Harlem, New York City for work. Set during the Harlem Renaissance, the novel explores Emma Lou's experiences with colorism, discrimination by lighter-skinned African Americans due to her dark skin. She learns to come to terms with her skin color in order to find satisfaction in her life.