As the son of an African-American mother and a white Southern aristocrat father, the story of the Ex-Colored Man explores the challenges, successes, and insecurities that still linger in post-Reconstruction era America. As the Ex-Colored Man struggles between accepting his black heritage and passion for ragtime, and the desire to live a peaceful life, he ultimately decides to continue "passing" as a white man. Although the life of a working class white-man provides simple comforts and security, one cannot help but wonder how different his life may have been had he embraced his black culture and pursued his dreams.

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