In 31 essays Reginald Jarrell tells stories of his life as a student, lawyer, pastor, professor, and communications professional as he lived in different locations across the United States. He is unstintingly truthful as he describes the people he encounters, some displaying the worst and others the best of America's culture.

The life experiences he shares in these brief essays paint a vivid picture of how race intersects and shapes lives. Attending a local parade with his young children in a Midwestern town, the impact of a stranger's racial epithet hurled at him while he was out walking his dog at twilight, the kindness of other strangers including a Mexican family, the verbal abuse he must swallow as a lawyer, experiences in congregations and universities—all convey a haunting disquiet and startling insight on "being Black in America."

Jarrell's story shifts locations across the US with special attention to his years in Iowa and Kansas. His vision is honest; no group escapes his observations. A powerful, beautiful memoir not so much about one man's life but of the United States of America.