Identity, Community, and the Skin Color Paradox in Iola Leroy

By depicting diverse skin tones and marriages within the Black community in Iola Leroy, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper emphasizes unity and shared identity while subverting negative stereotypes of Black women.

To contribute to the critical conversation on Iola Leroy, this site draws upon:

  • Frances E.W. Harper's life and historical context

  • social science research on colorism

  • literary criticism analyzing the novel

  • and a second novel, The Blacker the Berry by Wallace Thurman.