From WHITE to BLACK: One Life Between Two Worlds
“An historically rich, exuberant, and vividly detailed portrait of an extraordinary life.” -Kirkus Reviews
About The Author
Iris Duplantier Rideau was born in the Crescent City section of New Orleans in 1936. She learned how to “pass for white” from her light-skinned grandmother. To escape the blatant racism of the South, Rideau convinced her mother to move to Los Angeles when Rideau was 12 years old. Forced to drop out of school when she became pregnant at 15, Rideau enrolled in night classes, determined not to spend her life working in dead-end jobs available to women of color. On her own, she landed a front-office job at an insurance agency.
In 1967, Rideau founded her own insurance business, becoming the first minority/woman-owned firm to specialize in federally funded programs. She assisted LA’s Mayor Tom Bradley in developing the city’s first Affirmative Action Program. In the 1970s, she founded Rideau Securities and Investment Firm that specialized in pension planning for municipalities , ultimately leading to her illustrious career as California’s state director for a national pension planning company. She was awarded the city’s Deferred Compensation Plan contract, resulting in $500 million under management by the time Rideau retired in 1999.
Rideau left Los Angeles to build her dream home in the Santa Ynez Valley. Nearby, she discovered an abandoned Santa Barbara Historic Monument adobe house built in 1884 sitting on 22 acres of property. Combining her love of entertaining with her business savvy—(though nothing in the winery world!)—Rideau boldly purchased the property and restored the old house. She planted the vineyards to imported Rhone vines from the south of France, built the winery, and created the award-winning Rideau Winery, one of California’s top wineries in the Santa Ynez Valley.
Rideau has always given back to her communities, first Los Angeles, then the Santa Ynez Valley. As a woman-owned winery, she hired female winemakers, assistant winemakers, and tasting room staff —something unheard of in the 1990s. During her lifetime, Iris Rideau has proved that her belief in a higher power and her confidence in herself have guided her successful life’s journey—shattering those glass ceilings one by one.
Praise
“Iris Duplantier Rideau is not only a modern-day pioneer, groundbreaking businesswoman, and award-winning winery owner, she’s also a brilliant writer to boot. From White to Black is a beautifully told true story of extraordinary perseverance, limitless vision, and the power of faith in one’s self. Ms. Rideau’s illuminating ride through a long-ignored aspect of American history is endlessly fascinating and will leave you deeply inspired.”
“Iris Rideau is a true inspiration for all women. She had a vision, followed her dreams and, created a plan and for her life that broke barriers for Black people to follow. From her early roots in Louisiana, Iris plowed through many trials and tribulations of racism in business and in her personal life and rose to the pinnacle of success to be the first Black woman to own and operate her own winery in California. Iris is a trailblazer.”
“An inspiring and oftentimes defiant read, From White to Black, is a wonderful and poignant story of triumph and transcendence. Iris Duplantier Rideau chronicles her amazing life journey with such beauty, flair, and insight, it satisfies the mind, opens the heart, and feeds the soul. In-joy.”
“Iris Rideau’s breathtakingly moving journey will encourage you to never give up, always push boundaries, and never let someone’s opinions hold you back from your own greatness. As an African American woman, Iris has helped pave the way for gender equality in every field she’s ever touched. From White to Black will show anyone who picks it up that anything is possible no matter your beginnings, and that embracing your identity is the key to success. Iris is not only one of the first self-made, multi-faceted businesswomen of our time, but she refuses to keep her success to herself and continues to turn back with helping hands to make sure she is not the last.”
“[Iris] is exceptional, not just in the wine community but the business world at large. [W]e have a lot to learn from her.”
“Iris Rideau is a pioneer with a journey that transcends decades of history. She is the epitome of strength, grace, and humility. It is an honor to share her legacy as a trailblazer in Season One of Fresh Glass. We are privileged to share her wisdom with the next generation of winemakers and celebrate her remarkable contributions to society.”
“She blazed trails. Her presence was instrumental in a lot of [Black] women getting into the wine industry.”
“… a deeply moving, brutally honest account of her trials and triumphs while living in two worlds. [Iris was] the first African American woman to own her own vineyard in a time and place when it was deemed unacceptable. From White to Black dives deeply into the world of being of mixed race and the complex realities of growing up in the Jim Crow era in America. A truly heartbreaking yet triumphant book, From White to Black shares Iris’ deep wisdom and truth about her life. I simply could not put it down.”
“The wine industry has traditionally been white men, but thanks to Ms. Rideau, more women and people of color are now in the industry.”
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