Personal Trainer, Baker for City's Elite Confronts Racism inKids Book

LAKESHORE EAST -- When Michael Tyler was 14, said he experienced black-on-black prejudicefirsthand when he visited the Chatham home of a girl he fancied.

The girl's parents asked him to come into their kitchen, where her father had him sit down beforeputting a brown paper bag next to his chair. Tyler's skin was darker than the bag's color, and thegirl's father promptly asked him to leave.

"I had been called names by people outside my race, but here was my first experience beingpersecuted in that way," Tyler recalled recently.

Michael Tyler [DNAinfo/Chicago]

Thus began Tyler's 40-year journey to help end racism. That path led to him writing "The Skin YouLive In," a children's book in honor of his mixed-race son, Sascha, who was the victim of racist name-calling as a 5-year-old.

The book, illustrated by Chicago artist David Lee Csicsko, was penned by Tyler in 1995, and after147 rejections, it finally was published by the Chicago Children's Museum in 2005.

It remains the only book published in the museum's history.

"The book resonated for the museum and its core values of inclusion and helping families with smallchildren think about complex issues," said Gigi Pritzker, former head of the Children's Museumboard and a longtime friend of Tyler who helped him get the book published.

"I felt that what he had written was impactful, whimsical and lent itself to a potentially terrificillustrated book. I had small children and was reading lots of books with them, and I never foundanything that directly addressed the issues of race and being happy in your skin."

The book has since won a Mom's Choice Award. It has sold 100,000 copies and can be found inseveral Chicago Public Libraries and others across the state, and it is celebrating its 10-yearanniversary this year. Tyler, 54, recently held a book discussion at Francis W. Parker school inLincoln Park and will be leading another June 13 at Soho House in the West Loop.

"I'm thrilled, the book is always growing to new audiences," said Csicsko, of Lakeview East. "It'sawesome to meet parents, librarians and children who treasure this book."

Tyler said the goal of the book, which features drawings of children of every skin tone, was to"advocate acceptance, not tolerance" of mankind. Of the book's 472 words, "skin" is mentioned 65times.

"I guess I drove the point across," said Tyler, of Lakeshore East.

Tyler said he was rarely comfortable in his own skin growing up in Chatham. His skin was darkerthan that of his older twin brother, which he said made him feel shunned, even from relatives

outside his immediate family. Tyler coped by eating loads of sweets.

"I grew up a really fat kid with a lot of insecurities," Tyler said.

That's a surprising fact to those who've known Tyler for the last 30 years during his career as apersonal trainer -- first at health clubs and now for a select group of high-profile clients.

He hasn't given up desserts, though, as he owns a small baking company -- Fat Man's Heaven --where he makes 28 varieties of drop cookies (where dough is dropped directly onto a baking sheet),plus cheesecakes and pies. The company has no website, and Tyler cooks again only for a limited,elite audience.

"I'm an off-the-grid kind of guy," Tyler said from his 10th-floor, two-bedroom condominiumoverlooking the Chicago River and Downtown. "I'm kind of like the secret weapon for a few people."

Tyler also is working on other children's books and writes position papers on topics like same-sexmarriage at the request of some local politicians. He's been reading dictionaries cover to cover sincehe was a child. Every night before he goes to bed, Tyler said he spends 15 minutes writing down histhoughts on a blank sheet of paper.

"My brain, there's a constant fascination that unfolds in front of me," said Tyler, who majored intelevision communication with a pre-med minor at Loyola University Chicago. "The downside isthere's no way to shut it off. I've found a way to coexist with my brain."

Tyler said his menagerie of occupations, plus writing "The Skin You Live In," has exemplified hislife's objective.

"I always remember my grandfather telling me to do the very things you love the most, and then tryto figure out how to make a living from them," Tyler said.

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