White Lies: Race and the Myths of Whiteness

Maurice Berger examines myths and false assumptions about race in America. Growing up in 1960s New York City, Berger was exposed to conflicting attitudes toward race: his father was a Jewish liberal who admired Martin Luther King, Jr., while his mother, a dark-skinned Sephardic Jew, held racist views. As one of the few white children in his Lower East Side housing project, Berger developed a keen awareness of racial dynamics. Drawing on his unusual background and commitment to understanding race in its multiple dimensions, Berger explores how racial meaning manifests in everyday life—both subtly and overtly. White Lies invites readers to confront their own complex and often troubling views about race. The result is a direct examination of race in contemporary America that avoids platitudes and presents an honest, affecting perspective on the subject.