Rating: 
Summary: I never put it down!
Review: Life on the Color Line explores not only the racial issues of black and white, but the "drop of black blood theory." This theory still exists and is legal in every state. One-tenth of black blood legally makes you black! So, how many other Greg Williams' would there be in this world if we explored our family trees?? Are you a Greg Williams'? And what would be your reaction? This story is also a coming of age story. As much of a drunk as his father was, he still managed to inspire Greg to be his best. Greg endured a lot of racial tension from both sides of the line, but ultimately it was the African American side that pulled him in and supported him. I just finished Cacausia by Danzy Senna. This is fiction, but addresses some of the same issues. In this book the character knows they're black, but must pretend she is jewish. If you liked Life on the Color Line, you'll love Cacausia (or vice-versa).
Rating:
Summary: I never put it down!
Review: Life on the Color Line explores not only the racial issues of black and white, but the "drop of black blood theory." This theory still exists and is legal in every state. One-tenth of black blood legally makes you black! So, how many other Greg Williams' would there be in this world if we explored our family trees?? Are you a Greg Williams'? And what would be your reaction? This story is also a coming of age story. As much of a drunk as his father was, he still managed to inspire Greg to be his best. Greg endured a lot of racial tension from both sides of the line, but ultimately it was the African American side that pulled him in and supported him. I just finished Cacausia by Danzy Senna. This is fiction, but addresses some of the same issues. In this book the character knows they're black, but must pretend she is jewish. If you liked Life on the Color Line, you'll love Cacausia (or vice-versa).
Rating: 
Summary: Not Dark enough for the colored and too Dark for the whites
Review: Life On the Color Line is a very powerful book. It shows the struggle Gregory Williams had to encounter being black but looking white. First part of his life he believed he was white. It wasn't until his mother abandoned him and his father lost the family business that he and his little brother, Mike, found out they were black. They moved to Muncie, Indiana. Greg's father was an alcoholic and could not care for the boys properly. So a kindhearted woman, Miss Dora took them in. Between holding down a job to get by and trying to guide Mike in the right direction,(who had made a turn for the worst) Gregory must also overcome the stuggle of racism to gain his education. Thoughout this book Gerg is descriptive of how life was growing up colored and looking white. In the last chapter I think he was to general and quick on how he finished the book. For me he left to many unanswered questions. I feels like the story is not finished. But all-and-all I really liked the book and would recommend for everyone to read it.
Rating:
Summary: Life on the Color Line was a very interesting novel.
Review: LIfe on the Color Line was about a child who grew up with the knowledge of thinking that he was white but was really black. He experienced several difficulties throughout his life because of this. Gregory Williams was forced to choose between black and white friends. Gregory's father was in the picture but never really set any good examples and his mother left him at a young age. Growing up with someone else being the mother figure in his life was very difficult for him. Miss Dora treated him and his brother as though they were her own flesh and blood. Even with all the bad experiences and wrong decision making, in the end Gregory completed the novel with a very successful life. He became married, had two children of his own and had a degree in law. I did not give the book 5 stars because throughout the book it talked about his brother's life as well as his. Towards the end of the book, they never spoke on how he became blind in very much detail or how his life ended like they talked about with Gregory.
Rating: 
Summary: The Artificial Line
Review: Look, I have a great deal of sympathy and a great deal of admiration for any individual that overcomes adversity, but let's be real here. Mr Willliams is white. Race is a phenotypic state. Period. Everywhere Mr Williams goes he is regarded as white because he is. African ancestry is not a taint. If it was, many an Arab or Latino person claiming to be white would be one-dropped right out of the category. We don't do that to any mixed white from any other nation,only to Americans. A study done in 1958, by the federal government found that, conservatively, twenty percent of the American "white" population had a black ancestor within four generations. This is nothing new. In order to be white in America they just had to deny they ever had a black ancestor. One cannot "pass" for something one IS. Mr Williams, unfortunately, had an alcoholic, abusive father who attempted to wreck his life. He is not black because being black is merely a perception of phenotype and he doesn't have it. He can choose a black identity if he wishes, so could Vanilla Ice for that matter.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding realization on racism
Review: Many of us are met in life with challenges, which alter our views on life. These experiences often are minor, however, the ones that affect us most profoundly are those that force us to open our eyes to the real essence of humanity on a much broader scope than our individual existence. Such an experience is not felt unless a person endures a large degree of suffering, which is not easy to get through by a mere expression of emotion to another human being, but to reach out to the world to make some type of impact - as to add a drop of water to the ocean of humanity to cause a ripple effect that others can feel. In the book Life On The Color Line, an autobiography written by Gregory Howard Williams, the author adds his drop of water. He shares his experience of growing up white in the early 1950's only to find out he is black, and is able to communicate to readers what it is like to look white, in a racist society, and to have to endure poverty common place in the black community. One that the other side of the color line would not venture to look at. The situation he grew up in was enough for one to fail, and just goes to prove that human endurance can conquer many obstacles. If his experience is not a drop of water to touch another persons soul, then that person does not have one. I will pass this book on as another ripple in the ocean of humanity.
Rating:
Summary: Eye opening and interesting
Review: On the Color Line is easily one of the best accounts of racial tension in the 50's and 60's that I have read. Williams' personal story of learning he was black, focussed much more on the hardship that he had to overcome being the son of a drunk father and a mother that left, than it did on the story of learning he was black. Though faced with constant obstacles, Williams is able to finally acheive his dreams in this uplifting biography.
Rating:
Summary: Descriptive language that lets you feel racism.
Review: Raw language and situations that make you cringe. Through it all people survive. Some for the better and some for the worse. We see how choices are forced upon many, but the strongest individuals overcome obstacles to reach their goals. You will always remember Buster Williams, father of two white skinned sons who lived in a white neighborhood till age 10 when they suddenly are uprooted and become black on a one way bus trip to their grandmothers shack in the worst part of Muncie.
Rating:
Summary: The self-motivation of Gregory Williams.
Review: Reaching goals and obtaining them when you get there can be very hard. It is one thing to say you're going to accomplish your dreams, but to do it is another thing also. Gregory had used hard times in his life growing up, as willpower in acheiving his goal as a lawyer. I felt that it goes to show that you don't have to let hard times stop you from reaching your dreams. From reading and getting a better understanding of the book I've learned the value of hard work and dedication. Gregory used all his extra hours of life, studying,and reading to keep his mind refreshed with new thoughts. He was also forced to become a man before his time which had made him become more responsible. This responsibilty was also put forth his education. I really recommend this book for anyone. Epescially someone who feels that their less capable of reaching a goal that seems to only be a figment of your imagination.
Rating: 
Summary: A student's review
Review: Recently, our class read Gregory Howard Williams autobiography Life on the Color Line. The book deals with Gregory Howard Williams, who until he was 10 years, believed that he was white, but he later learned that he was actually black. There are some sections of the book that appeal to me while there are some that don't. To begin with, I am not very thrilled with the use of foul language. Growing up I wasn't around people that spoke so much foul language, and at moments I was appalled. After I read this book, I learned what his point of using this foul language throughout the book was. It shows the environment where he was growing up. His father is abusive towards his mother and the children are exposed to violence, abusive behavior as well as racism. On the other hand, there was a positive influence that I got from the book and this is the relationship Billy had with his brother Mike. I often felt that they had such a closeness between them. One would always look out for the other one, and they would always help each other out. After reading this book, there was also a negative aspect to this book; it was the drinking of Tony Williams that slowly, after time, affected him and his children. When I say it affected him and his children, I mean, that he was almost about to die at different points in the book. One time it was a bar fight which was right in front of his kids' eyes. He did however always want good for his children. In his mind, if they were in trouble he would go and rescue them. Whenever the Dad would tell the kids to get a job, he would take up the money himself and not share it. From reading this book I got the impression that Billy was hardworking throughout his whole education. He would have to tell his brother to focus on his education because his life would continue to decline. I feel that Mary, the mother, did the right thing by leaving his husband since he was the one that was so abusive towards her. I felt that Tony should not have dumped the kids in Muncie and should have taken responsibility for his own children and since it his duty to raise them right. From reading this book I got a positive influence and that he actually does care for his children because he really did try to show up for Billy's high school graduation. A positive thing that I got from Tony's character is when he said that he should be put in jail so that his drinking would decrease. This is an example of someone who is trying to change himself into a good man. On the whole, I feel that I actually enjoyed reading Gregory's Howard Williams autobiography because I have learned much about what it feels like to have a double identity and what type of sturggles come with that. While they are some flaws in the book, the positive points clearly outweigh the negatives making Life On The Color Line a great book to read.
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