The Color of Water by James McBride was a good choice for a campus reading for incoming freshmen. This book was really a great book, it dealt with diversity, religion, racism, acceptance, self-sacrifice, and hardships, the majority of these are issues for freshman. One way it dealt with diversity is how Ruth's parents owned a store on the black side of town. Ruth was young when she first experienced this and confused about why her dad did not accept black people. James's family experienced racism all through their lives. One time James's brother, David, was arrested by a white officer just because he was a black kid with a lot of money. In order to survive they lived their lives struggling for acceptance. Ruth also had to sacrifice about everything she owned and lived for. Throughout all this James McBride was able to capture your attention and take your mind back to the time this book took place.
             The first reason deals with diversity; how there are so many people in the book, which all come from different backgrounds, races, and religions. The book ties into our college experience how everyone we meet is somewhat different in terms of their living style. It deals with their backgrounds like where they grew up, as in a different state, continent, country, or even in the same state as you just with different customs. In every class, you will never find someone just like you; everyone is different in one aspect of life or another. People deal differently with their problems from the way others do. The book Color of Water, deals with diversity a lot, and it coincides well with us as new incoming freshman and the new world we are about to engage in.
             Race is also a big factor; so many people can't see past the color of a person and that is terrible. It should not matter what color skin one has, but what is found in ones heart is what truly counts. I would never judge someone by their color and hope...