I Am Not a Black Man does not deny skin color, African ancestry, American history, discrimination, or injustice. The book asks a deeper question: What happens when a description is given the authority to define the whole person?

Elmo draws from his experience growing up in the segregated South, his Christian faith, and decades of bridge-building work. He challenges readers to face history honestly without allowing prejudice, pain, politics, or labels to determine the fullness of their identity.