Patricia Sizer

Third Child: Blurred Identity Patricia Sizer

In her candid and insightful memoir, Patricia Sizer details her decades of personal and professional struggles against two forces beyond her control: her status as the third child of her parents' four children, and her status as a light-skinned African American woman who is sometimes assumed to be White by both the Black and White communities. As a result, she experiences prejudice and alienation from both groups as she struggles to establish her own unique identity. A segregated society also contributed to the challenges she faced. Growing up in the South during the "Jim Crow" era of separate but equal, her elementary schools lacked basic equipment and supplies. In spite of this, she is able to succeed in life, but life also presents challenges.

Patricia's diverse ethnic background includes a White Confederate soldier, an African slave, and an Irish immigrant, among others. At a young age, she is shocked to realize the prejudice that exists within the Black community regarding skin tone. Interspersed with memorable and sometimes humorous events, she recalls the verbal and physical abuses she endured. Included in her memoir are events which influenced the direction of her life, as well as the civil rights laws/issues which impacted the community in which she lived.

Even within the family unit, there are tensions created by birth order. Family secrets are revealed, one of which she is the sole possessor. Her family struggles financially, and yet they maintain a loving home, driven by strong family values, discipline, and hard work.