“Black, beautiful, and bound to spark necessary conversations.” - Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
“A gorgeous and evocative book. Through personal narrative, photographic portraits, and an astute historical backdrop, the reader is brought on a journey exploring both the borders and the depth of the complicated racial category ‘Black.’ Tears, laughter, and life-transforming ideas blossom on page after page.” - Imani Perry, author of Breathe: A Letter to My Sons
“Highlighting the impact of immigration, transnationalism, culture, ethnicity, and immigration on the alleged black-and-white-ness of the US racial narrative, these poignant testimonies reassert that the lived experience of Blackness is far more than a mere social construct." - Joan Morgan, cultural critic and author of When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost: A Hip-Hop Feminist Breaks It Down
“Blay broadens our ideas about what counts as Black and challenges readers to rethink Blackness not only as a category but as an experience. As a biracial Black woman, I think this book is not only a must-read but a must-share.” - Amy DuBois Barnett, former editor in chief of Ebony
“When people ask, What does it mean to love Blackness, one answer is the work of Yaba Blay. . . . Yaba is one of the most brilliant and committed critics and advocates writing and thinking and working on behalf of Black people today.” - Michael Eric Dyson, author of Long Time Coming
“One Drop visually stuns while showing us the many different and often surprising faces of Blackness that make up the Americas. In a world that shreds Black women’s self-esteem in big and small ways every day, we depend on Blay’s writing, Instagram tutorials, and undaunted compassion to put us back together again.” - Brittney Cooper, author Eloquent Rage
“One Drop presents a nuanced exploration of racial identity that serves as a practical guide for thinking critically about what it means to be Black in the twenty-first century.” - Tarana J. Burke, author, activist, and founder of the MeToo movement