A “vast multifaceted and enchanting” ( Minneapolis Star-Tribune ) meditation on the color blue
and its fascinating role in Black history and culture from National Book Award winner Imani
Perry “the most important interpreter of Black life in our time” (Eddie S. Glaude Jr.)
Throughout history the concept of Blackness has been remarkably intertwined with another
color: blue. In daily life it is evoked in countless ways. Blue skies and blue water offer
hope for that which lies beyond the current conditions. But blue is also the color of deep
melancholy and heartache echoing Louis Armstrong’s question “What did I do to be so Black and
blue?” In this book celebrated author Imani Perry uses the world’s favorite color as a
springboard for a riveting emotional cultural and spiritual journey through African American
history—an examination of race and Blackness that transcends politics or ideology. Perry traces
both blue and Blackness from their earliest roots to their many embodiments of contemporary
culture drawing deeply from her own life as well as art and history: The dyed indigo cloths of
West Africa that were traded for human life in the 16 th century. The mixture of awe and
aversion in the old-fashioned characterization of dark-skinned people as “Blue Black.” The
fundamentally American art form of blues music sitting at the crossroads of pain and pleasure.
The blue flowers Perry plants to honor a loved one gone too soon. Poignant spellbinding and
utterly original Black in Blues is a brilliant new work of literary nonfiction that could only
have come from the mind of one of our greatest writers and thinkers. Attuned to the harrowing
and the sublime aspects of the human experience it is every bit as vivid rich and striking
as blue itself. This landmark work of cultural history explores: A Deep History of a Color:
Follow the thread of blue from the dyed indigo cloths of West Africa traded for human life to
its complex and poignant role in the story of race in America. The Music and the Mood: Explore
the birth of the blues the quintessential American art form that sits at the crossroads of
heartache and joy giving a sound to the question: “What did I do to be so Black and blue?”
Lyrical Social Commentary: Through a blend of personal memoir art and historical analysis
National Book Award winner Imani Perry examines the sublime and harrowing aspects of the Black
experience. Folklore and Identity: Uncover the layered meanings behind concepts like “Blue
Black” skin and folk traditions revealing how a color became intertwined with spirituality and
identity.
