Esther Myhan will sign copies of her book “Prejudice Within Your Race” and host a healing workshop inside New City Fellowship Church’s Evangel House at the corner of Third Street and Derby Street May 15 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Writing the book with her sister and co-author Lucille Allensworth, the pair found that numerous people throughout Chattanooga experience issues related to their skin color or appearance no matter their race.
“We interviewed people such as attorneys, doctors, nurses and teachers, pulling out different stories to put in the book,” said Myhan, adding that each participant is assigned a code name in the book. “Everyone has a lot of hurt and pain. A lot of healing has taken place between light skin and dark skin black people.”
Myhan said her book brought her back together with her sisters.
Esther Myhan, author of “Prejudice Within Your Race,” is hosting a book signing May 15 at New City Fellowship Church at the intersection of Third Street and Derby Street.“Growing up, I had light skin for my race and my sisters were darker,” said Myhan. “My mother is very dark, so she leaned more toward her dark skin children than her light skin children. She was not conscious of it.”
According to Myhan, as a child she remembers hearing a story that said drinking coffee would turn a person black. So she began drinking coffee at an early age and was disappointed to not see a change in her light brown complexion.
Myhan said her father was bi-racial with light skin and had fewer racial issues in his younger years than her mother.
“My son told me that even now dark skin black students and light skin black students have issues at his school,” said Myhan. “It is really ridiculous and time to get over it.”
Myhan said she hosted a workshop recently with 100 participants from a variety of races.
“It came down to money and if you don’t make enough money, then you don’t fit in our family,” said Myhan. “It helps to break down barriers and get over this mess. The biggest blessing is bringing families back together again.”
Retired from Tennessee Valley Authority and working in accounting at Krystal Company, Myhan grew up on the Southside of Chattanooga and works as a full-time foster parent caring for children of all races. At present she is fostering a 10-month-old, a 4-year-old, adopted a 3-year-old, has a 15-year-old and two adult daughters too. Since beginning her fostering 10 years ago she has fostered 30 children.
Her husband Jim, an engineer with Hartford Steam Boilers, helps her care for the children and edited her book.