Richard Wright's Portrait of White Supremacy

I am reading Richard Wright's 1945 narrative "Black Boy," and I am struck once again by the unremitting cruelty that is so common under White supremacy during the 1920s and 1930s. Regardless of where Richard turns, he runs up against the most oppressive and painful racism imaginable.

In an encounter with a group of drunken white boys, he is asked if he wants to drink from a flask. He answers, "Oh, no," and a whiskey bottle is suddenly smashed between his eyes, bringing stars and a near loss of consciousness. The White men making the offer shout out, "Nigger, ain't you learned no better sense'n that yet? Ain't you learned to say SIR to a white man yet?" The complete lack of concern for Richard's welfare becomes part of his challenge of navigating the uncaring world of White supremacy.

Working at an optical company in the deep South for many weeks, eager to learn the optical trade and to make a decent living, but constantly assigned to the most menial tasks, Richard finally goes up to one of the skilled workers and asks to learn. The retort is sharp and short: "What are you trying to do, get smart, nigger?" Seeking out another skilled worker for guidance, Richard is scolded, "Nigger, you think you're white, don't you?" No matter who he talks to or seeks out for mentoring, the answer is always the same. Who do you think you are? Some uppity nigger? You should just be satisfied to be where you are. Ambitions like yours are dangerous. They only lead to trouble.

In time, the Whites where Richard work trump up a conflict that puts Richard at risk. They show no regard for his well being, for his welfare. They focus on making Richard as nervous and as anxiety-ridden as possible. They make up stories, they manufacture conflicts, all designed to place him in the worst light possible. His firing doesn't matter. His suffering doesn't matter. His economic situation is irrelevant. Ensuring that he is on the hook, that his well being is hanging by a thread, this is what the practitioners of White supremacy most desire.

When Richard finally quits his job because he cannot stand the hatred and the uncertain cruelty any longer, he refers to himself as an unfeeling "non-man" who feels only vaguely human. He had lost touch with his humanity, which is exactly what the practitioners of White supremacy sought. They wanted him to lose himself, to be uncertain and weak in a world of overwhelming prejudice and unstoppable oppression. Lost in a sea of hate, Richard turns away, obsessed with a desire to escape the South and desperate to find a place where he had a chance, however slim, to become his full, creative, and truly magnificent self.