I haven't read this book yet, but I am fascinated with the story. A celebrity in
terviewer has written a memoir confessional about living with a skin disorder that is turning him, a black man, white. In Turning White, Lee Thomas talks about dealing with vitiligo, the disease that is robbing his skin of its melanin creating large white spots all over his body including his face. Eventually, as the disease progresses he will lose all the pigmentation in his skin, making him effectively white. People like to joke that this is the Michael Jackson disease. Apparently Jackson suffers from this disease. But unlike Thomas, who uses brown-colored make-up to cover the white spots on his face, Jackson has availed himself of a treatment that evens out his skin tone by making his naturally brown skin white.
I have a (brown-skinned) family member who suffers from this disease. Often when I see him, I can see that the disease has progressed. I am thankful that because he has a good sense of self, the disease doesn't stop him from doing anything. In truth, the disease, as Thomas has described it, goes to the heart of ideas of self and identity particularly as a black person. You should understand that white people can get this disease too-the change is just not as dramatic. I am glad that Thomas is bringing serious attention to this disorder. I hope that a dedicated spokesperson can bring awareness of the disease and attention to this disease that leads to a solution.
