‘Passing’ Story Has Deep Chicago Roots

The film “Passing,” now streaming on Netflix, is based on Nella Larsen’s 1929 novel of the same name. Irene Redfield and Clare Kendry are two light-skinned Black women who grew up on Chicago’s South Side—just like Larsen. One of the women is “passing” as white while the other is heavily involved with the Harlem community where she now lives. Writer and Larsen scholar Amina Gautier explains how Chicago played an integral role in the author’s life and in the story. 

Guest:

Amina Gautier—Writer and University of Miami Professor

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