For first-time author Joan Green of Ellicott City, the idea of writing a memoir was always on her heart. Because she had a sister with intellectual disabilities, she had been an observer of justice for those who may not have a voice in society. But not until 2021, after George Floyd was killed in 2020, did she delve into how her own interracial family was handling the tragedy and how she could better support her husband, who was Black, and their three children with the division the country was facing.

Green’s debut memoir, Navigating Two Worlds: From Blind Spots to Awareness in Interracial Families, released in February 2026, is an intimate blend of memoir and practical guidance, offering vital lessons on self-awareness and on navigating experiences across race.

Living in Howard County in Maryland, the #1 county for interracial marriages in Maryland, Green admits that she was not nearly as hyper aware as her husband, Kevin, was about being an interracial couple in public. She remembers thinking it would be fine. But subconsciously, the couple found themselves exposed to more gatherings of white people than Black people because of Joan’s own comfort level – something the couple had not explored in 28 years of marriage.

“When the issue with George Floyd happened, I realized, in talking with my own family and friends, that I had really missed things during all those years. That doesn’t make me a bad person, but it does make me lacking in self-awareness,” Green reflects.

While out of work during the COVID pandemic, Green took some time for reflection on what would be next in her life, taking an online course, “Made to Do This.” The course inspired her to try new things, such as creating an interracial marriage Facebook group and eventually starting a podcast, “Navigating Two Worlds,” where, in 16 to 18 episodes, she interviewed other women in interracial marriages, as well as experts in the field of mixed race families, and learned more about the issues that arise around race.

She realized through this exploration that the Black community didn’t want to be the educator on this issue, so she did more reading on her own, watched educational videos and podcasts, seeking to educate herself and improve her own emotional intelligence.

“The country was shifting at this time, and I was shifting too,” Green recalls.

Her journey was one of self-awareness and focusing on understanding her own biases. The result for the first time in their marriage – a floodgate of amazing communication with her husband around the issue of race.  It also helped her husband to reflect on things that he didn’t know affected him as a Black male.

She recalls, “He said to me one day that he was so used to his culture being secondary to the white culture, that it just never occurred to him that he would get equal billing in life.”

Green shares that starting with open conversations at home and intentional listening are some of the most important first steps for interracial families’ communication – something she tries to practice daily with her husband today. She also realized that she hadn’t tried to introduce their children to both cultures equally as they grew up. The couple’s three children, Jordan, Jessica, and Jacob, although well adjusted, were having to find their own identities in the world as they approached adulthood.

As Green started writing about her discoveries, she realized that her reflections were becoming the foundation for a memoir, which she quips was originally going to be called, I Married a Black Man and Didn’t Even Know It.

“God put it on my heart to get the words out and write this book. There have been starts and stops over the past five years, but it finally came together this year,” Green shares.

Green takes the reader along on her journey of radical self-reflection, recognizing her blind spots, seeking stories of other women in interracial relationships, and learning why the richness of Black history and community are essential – not just from her family, but for everyone.

She hopes that the book brings awareness and introspection for people in interracial marriages. And her greater hope is that the book helps people see others for who they are and to love others unconditionally. She offers a Book Club Guide on her website to help people use the book in book clubs for deeper discussions, fully seeing and seeking understanding of the person in front of you, next to you, and with you.

“This book captures the clarity that changed everything – how I see myself, my family, and our world – and the responsibility it demands:  to do better, to live with intention, and to remember that love is an action word,” states Green.

Joan Green is the Director of Community Engagement at Fello in Linthicum, Maryland with offices in Easton and Annapolis. Navigating Two Worlds: From Blind Spots to Awareness in Interracial Families is available in paperback and Kindle at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, and area retailers. For more information, visit joanmgreen.com. IG: @joan.m.green; FB: joangreenconnects; LI: joanmgreen.