Life on the Color Line: The True Story of a White Boy Who Discovered He Was Black

Williams precedes the first chapter with the poem “Cross” by biracial poet Langston Hughes. It captures the perplexity of Hughes’s life, feeling neither fully white nor fully Black. In his acknowledgments, Williams thanks those who helped him develop the book and expresses appreciation to his wife, Sara Whitney Williams. He mentions three people in his dedication: his father, James Anthony “Tony” Williams; the woman who raised him, Dora Smith; and his wife, Sara.

As Chapter 1 begins, Williams is named Gregory Howard, although for reasons unknown everyone calls him “Billy.” At six years old, he spends his days sitting on a stool by the cash register of the Open House Cafe, which his parents run. It’s located on US Highway 1 between Alexandria and Fort Belvoir, Virginia. The clientele is largely soldiers. His father, James A. “Tony” Williams, was a draftee who narrowly avoided a court martial for stealing 500 bedsheets.

From his earliest days, Williams notices that his father’s drinking is a problem. He portrays his mother, of whom he has few memories, as being beautiful, tall, and austere. His father is a gregarious charmer: “While Dad always seemed to enjoy himself, I never saw my mother smile” (4).