There are people who are “Half White” or “Half Black.” Do they go into the water only up to their waist?
The “novel” is racist. If the colors were reversed, this would never have been published.
There are a lot of people who blame their failures on Whitey, who is paying taxes that are used to support the indolent failures who then lift their middle finger at Whitey.
From reading, it appears the author followed the “one drop” rule.
One of the protagonists is a white girl with a distant black relative.
Apparently the mainly white peoples assemble in a town and plot evil return to power over the peaceful and wonderful blacks.