It's the Little Things: The Everyday Interactions That Get under the Skin of Blacks and Whites Hardcover - 2000

A black person is taken aback when a stranger uses his first name. - A white person fails to recognize a black colleague outside the office. - A black executive is followed around a department store and then can't get a taxi to stop for her. - A white person comments in amazement on how articulate an Ivy Leaque professional is-a black Harvard graduate. Despite the progress our country has made since the civil rights movement, we live in separate worlds. Although people of different races work together, go to school together, live in integrated neighborhoods, and have developed long lasting friendships, we're still undeniably divided. Why? Ignorance. In this fast, funny, smart and forthright book, New York Times reporter Lena Williams tells it like it is. Writing from her own experiences and from what she has learned through conducting focus groups of blacks and whites all over the country, Williams opens our eyes to the annoying things we do and explains what they mean and how to avoid them. If you've ever noticed these sights-and especially if you haven't- you'll find It's the Little Things an eye opener, a delight, and an important bridge between our separated cultures.