Kendra Rae (1)

August 1983. Kendra Rae Phillips is at Antonio’s in Manhattan, celebrating the fresh success of Burning Heart. Kendra tells a fellow editor that while white or white-appearing actors like Ben Kingsley easily appropriate roles of color, like in Richard Attenborough’s film Gandhi, popular culture can’t even stomach the idea of a Black actor playing a white role. As the discomfited white editor retreats, Kendra is approached by Diana Gordon, the author of Burning Heart. Diana, who is Kendra’s childhood friend and wears a wig of wavy hair, humorously urges Kendra to hold back her outspoken views for just a few hours. While Diana asks Kendra to enjoy their success, Kendra notes that if she had her way, the celebration would be held at another venue—not in Manhattan’s financial district, a neighborhood “that held one of the country’s biggest slave markets” once upon a time. She also reminds Diana that the only reason Richard Wagner, the owner of Wagner Books, assigned Kendra the manuscript was to ensure she would take the brunt of it if the book flopped. Diana defends Richard and appears uncomfortable with Kendra’s observations.

However, Kendra notes that Diana has always been eager to fit in with white people, letting Kendra fight her battles. The fact that Diana attended a Black university like Howard, unlike Kendra, also means Diana has been insulated from white prejudice. Hence, Diana sometimes tends to overlook biased behavior.

Chapter 6

A dejected Nella struggles to go to work the day after her meeting with Vera and Colin. When her boyfriend, Owen, who is white, suggests Nella find humor in the disastrous meeting, she accuses him of being insensitive. However, Nella notes that Owen never brushes institutionalized racism under the carpet; nor does he feel the need to impress her by calling everything racist all the time. As the son of a liberal lesbian couple, Owen is secure in his worldview. Yet, Nella also knows Owen will never be able to understand all the microaggressions she faces daily as a Black woman in a largely white workplace. When she reaches work, Nella witnesses Hazel gift India, the Black receptionist on their floor, a beautiful silk scarf. Hazel’s proximity to India, and India’s overwhelming gratitude at Hazel’s gesture, make Nella feel isolated. Hazel informs Nella that though she bought India the scarf at an African fabric shop, such hair accessories can also be found at Curl Central, a Black hair salon she frequents. Hazel expresses disproportionate surprise when Nella tells her she struggles with braiding her hair or tying it in a scarf. Though Nella’s parents ensured she grew up proud of her Black identity, Nella inherited her mother’s practice of relaxing her hair. It was only after Nella moved to New York that she cut off her straight hair and began growing a natural Afro. Hazel’s shock at Nella’s ignorance of Black hairstyling makes Nella feel guilty about her perceived lack of activism, as well as her choice of boyfriend. But the negative feelings are short-lived as Nella and Hazel bond over the subject of wearing hair in locks.

Meanwhile, Vera appears cold and stern toward Nella. Nella tells Hazel that though she apologized to Colin after he returned to Vera’s office twenty minutes later, Vera still seems angry with Nella. Hazel reassures Nella that she did the right thing in calling out Colin. Though the rest of Nella’s day seems excruciating, she is grateful for Hazel’s attempts to distract her. However, after Hazel shares the link to Curl Central’s website with Nella, Nella is surprised to discover...