Racism and Richard Wright

The twentieth century will be remembered throughout history for its turbulent struggles for racial equality, most notably that of the African Americans in the United States. The period after World War I saw the blossoming of African American writers and poets whom chronicled and voiced the anger, outrage and frustration they felt at the hands of a segregated and prejudiced nation. Richard Wright was one of these writers, gaining critical acclaim from his novel Native Son. Wright also produced an autobiographical work, entitled The Ethics of Living Jim Crow, details the injustices he experienced first hand growing up in the segregated American South (Fiero p906-907).

The selection begins with Wright describing his boyhood home by the railroad tracks which he describes as having a yard "paved with black cinders." The only green grass to be seen in the area "was far away, over where the white folks lived." Wright goes on to describe the boyhood games of war he and his friends played with the cinders, which were essentially harmless. One day a group of white boys joins the game, but instead of throwing cinders, they were throwing glass bottles, which results in an injury that requires stitches for Wright (Fiero p 907).

Outraged by this turn of events, Wright turns to his mother for support and advice. It is so obvious to him that the white boys were in the wrong in this situation that he is bewildered when his mother punishes him for his role in the game instead of empathizing with him. In his words "she beat me till I had a fever of a hundred and two" and her verbal response to his role in the game is quite chilling. "She finished by telling me that I ought to be thankful to God as long as I lived that they didn't kill me" (Fiero p907).