Date of Award
5-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
English
Committee Chair/Advisor
Angela Naimou
Committee Member
Rhondda Thomas
Committee Member
Nic Brown
Abstract
Northern Skin, Southern Story narrates the story of my great-great-grandmother, Ella, who passed as a Jewish woman in the Bronx, New York. She left from Yemassee, South Carolina, located in the Lowcountry — the lower region of the state along the coast. Ella lived in New York for over 27 years. She returned to Yemassee in 1968. This story is told through the perspective of Ella's granddaughter, Marie. The critical component of the project explains how American social expectations created this container for Black Americans. Ella migrated from the South to escape Jim Crow’s limitations on Black life. Using Du Bois’ concept of Double Consciousness, this project explores how Black life is navigated by understanding American social standards and the strive of developing a true consciousness of being Black and American.
Recommended Citation
Smalls, Jania L., "Northern Skin, Southern Story" (2026). All Theses. 4705.
https://open.clemson.edu/all_theses/4705
Included in
African American Studies Commons, African Languages and Societies Commons, American Literature Commons