S Barbara HilyerS. Barbara Hilyer spent her public school teaching career in Ashland, Oregon, where she taught elementary school as well as middle and high school social studies, including American History. She holds a Master's Degree in Curriculum and InstructionalLeadership. Growing up white in Washington state, Barbara's father never told her anything about his family. Ten years after his death, she learned that his sister was Heléne Hale, an African American politician living in Hawai'i. In 1988, after meeting her aunt, Barbara began to spend more time in Hilo, Hawai'i, where she and Heléne were able to make up for 25 years of lost time. Barbara has also written "Legacy Lost: Passing Across the Color Line" to tell the story of her family members who were driven to seek opportunities on different sides of the color line. In spite of coming from a prominent mixed-race African American family in Minnesota, Barbara's father chose to raise her as white due to the limited opportunities available for black people at the time. His sister Heléne moved to Hawai'i, where she found a racially diverse community in which to raise her mixed-race family. Getting to know Heléne allowed Barbara to re-establish many family connections. Read More Read Less