Summary

In Chapter 22, Jefferson refers to her depression as “melancholy,” saying she prefers how that sounds. She said she, like others who emerged on the other side of depression, did get past the obstacles and had to figure out how to make the various aspects of their lives mesh.

Jefferson writess about her life in the 1970s. Her friend Shawn wore an Afro wig, like many black women who had straight hair. Their purpose was to be certain people recognized them as black. One night, she went into the bathroom at a club and removed the wig, wiping off the sweat and rearranging the hair. Another black woman had removed her own wig that sported straight hair with a flip at the ends. Their eyes met briefly in the mirror but they left the room without talking.

In the 1980s, Jefferson and her friends...