Skin color is not race.
Seventeen-year-old Malachi takes nothing for granted. Although his albinism makes him stand out in any crowd, he lives a blessed life with loving, supportive parents and an accepting peer group. Life is grand and he’s thankful for it all—until Bennett Dickson moves into his neighborhood.
Bennett Dickson, a blatant racist, robs the idyllic community of its warmth. His constant provoking sets the neighborhood on edge, but his hateful taunting pales in comparison to the carnage he unleashes, forever changing Malachi’s world.
In search of solace and an escape from the destructive media, Malachi and his mother flee to a small town, but what they find only adds to their turmoil. Malachi finds himself on the receiving end of vicious slurs and isolation due to his lack of melanin. Worst of all, he is rumored to have survived the tragedy that shattered his family because of his complexion. Desperate to escape once again, he turns to his lifelong passion—film production. But no matter where he lives or places his attention, Malachi realizes the only way to heal is to face the injustice served to his family.
Trigger Warnings: Racial violence, social injustice, some profanity, mentions of suicide, and teen gun violence. (Recommended for ages 17 and up)
"Still Black by Tammy Ferebee was a sobering book I couldn’t put down. It hypnotized me. I felt like I was watching the news. But this time, instead of the media version, I watched through the victims' eyes. I took a peek behind the scene to see how the victims reacted to loss, processed the pain and grief, handled the mental impact of varying testimonies, and how the majority drowned out their voices. Tammy approached this story from several educative angles, such as white on black racism and black on black racism. She also exposed people's ignorance of albinism and how cruel hypocrites hide behind religion to hurt others. Tammy is an excellent storyteller who wrote a brilliant story with supercharged emotions. I must also commend the creative and intentional cover of this novel. It made me want to see what was inside, and I wasn’t disappointed! Keep up the great work, Tammy!"
-Readers' Favorite
