The existence of the “one-drop rule” is a clear sign that Southern society was intent on denying rights to anyone who wasn’t completely white, though it’s also the case that many multiracial people who looked white actually were able to “pass” and, in doing so, avoid the dangers and challenges posed by life in the United States during the Jim Crow era. Many light-skinned multiracial people therefore faced racism and discrimination, which is partially why Desiree and Stella’s great-great-great-grandfather wanted to specifically carve out a “third” place in society (of course, the other reason he founded Mallard was that he was colorist and didn’t want to associate with dark-skinned Black people).

Some Southern states in the early 20th century even had what was known as the “one-drop rule,” which stipulated that people with just one Black ancestor were automatically considered Black. Desiree and Stella’s great-great-great-grandfather in The Vanishing Half was born into this exact situation, which is why he later founded Mallard, a place devoted to light-skinned people whom society technically considered Black. The offspring of such circumstances were born into slavery, even if they had light skin. It was very common during slavery for enslavers to rape and impregnate enslaved women. The novel’s exploration of “passing” builds on the United States’ long history of racism and, more specifically, the many opportunities Black Americans were denied long after the end of slavery. Her second book, The Vanishing Half, was published in 2020 to wide acclaim. Two years later, when she was just 26, Bennett published her debut novel, The Mothers, earning her a place on the National Book Foundation’s “5 Under 35” list of breakout writers. “I Don’t Know What To Do With Good White People” attracted millions of readers in only several days, spreading Bennett’s name throughout the literary community and beyond.

In 2014, Bennett wrote an article for Jezebel called “I Don’t Know What To Do With Good White People.” The piece was published in response to the fact that police officer Darren Wilson-who shot and killed 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri-was not indicted for his crime.

She also briefly studied at Oxford, making her the first person in her family to leave the country. Upon graduating from high school, she majored in English at Stanford University before pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing at the University of Michigan.

Brit Bennett was born in Oceanside, California, where she spent the next 17 years of her life.

The vanishing half book summary