inspired by his time in the rural South, being an imaginative exploration of the early African-American world of his absent father. In preparing a new edition of that work, scholars Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Rudolph P. Byrd said in 2010 that, based on their research, they believe that Toomer passed for white at periods in his life. He never claimed to be white or Black, saying that he was simply an American. They note that in the 1920 and 1930 censuses he was classified as white (at that time, such data was provided by the census taker, often based on an individual's appearance, economic class, area of residence, neighbors, etc.). Toomer twice had been classified (or registered) as "Negro", in draft registrations in 1917 and later in 1942. When Toomer married Margery Latimer, a white woman, in Wisconsin in 1931, the license noted both as white. Other scholars disagree with Gates's and Byrd's interpretation of these documents, while acknowledging that Toomer tried to stretch racial boundaries. "If people didn’t ask," said William Andrews, "I expect he didn’t tell." Jean Toomer avoided identifying with clear categories of race. Instead, he wanted to be classified only as “American.” His ambivalence toward race corresponds to his interest in Quaker philosophy. In his early twenties, he attended meetings of the Religious Society of Friends in Doylestown, a Quaker group. Later he joined a meeting group there. Quakerism connects groups of different believers under the respect for everyone's belief of a creed. They encourage each other to be able to understand themselves and their own personalities. Jean Toomer's Quaker belief connects to his writings on the place of the African-American in the 20th century. He also wrote essays on George Fox and Quakerism. In his essay, “The Negro Emergent,” Toomer describes how African-Americans were able to rise from those past identifications when they were portrayed only as slaves. He said they were working to find a voice for themselves. Legacy and archives Toomer's papers and unpublished manuscripts are held by the Beinecke Library at Yale University. When Cane was reprinted in 1969, it was favorably reviewed as a "Black Classic", leading to a revival of interest in Toomer's work. Since the late 20th century, collections of Toomer's poetry and essays have been published, and his Essentials was republished, originally self-published in 1931. It included "Gurdjieffian aphorisms". In 2002, Toomer was elected to the Georgia