West Virginia University’s Festival of Ideas continues with Leon Wynter’s presentation,American Skin,March 22 at 7:30 p.m. in the Mountainlair Ballroom.

We’re all the same color to Kmart,Wynter writes.Green.This groundbreaking author has turned accepted wisdom upside-down, providing a fresh, new perspective on the topic of relationships between race, business and ethnicity in America .

Wynter’s first book, American Skin: Big Business, Pop Culture and the End of White America , highlights the contradictions and paradox of ethnicity and race in marketing, and uncovers the truth about corporate motives for transracial marketing.

Wynter has followed the transformation of American identity in the multiracial marketplace for more than 20 years. His first essay was published in The New York Times in 1979. Soon after, he joined the staff of the Washington Post , covering education and racial change in suburban Prince George’s County, Maryland .

Wynter returned home to New York in 1986 where, after a short time at the Wall Street Journal’ s national news desk, he created and wrote theBusiness&Racecolumn for 10 years. His commentaries on race, popular culture and life observed have been heard on National Public Radio’s All Things Considered since 1993.

Wynter is a graduate of Yale University with a degree in psychology. He received his MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business. His two dozen essays have been published in The Wall Street Journal , the Washington Post , The New York Times and New York Newsday .

This presentation is free and open to the public. Seating is limited on a first-come, first-served basis. Festival of Ideas is produced by WVU Arts&Entertainment. For more information, call 293-SHOW or visitwww.events.wvu.edu.