Men of the Community

Prior to this scene, the narrator was given the opportunity to give the speech he gave at his high school graduation to the most prominent white men of the community. However, he wasn't only an orator at that event; he was part of the evening's main event. The narrator and classmates enter a boxing ring. They are all forced to stare at a naked blonde woman who has an American flag painted on her stomach. After the woman has left, the boys, including the narrator are blindfolded and given boxing gloves. When the bell is sounded the boys were set of to beat one another up. The narrator lifted his blindfold to avoid being pummeled to death, but he still made it seem as though he was completely blind. In the end, that was the worst thing the narrator could have done because he was among the last two standing and the other standing was a very big black boy. The narrator tried to bargain with the boy, but the boy insisted on beating up the narrator. When the fight was over the boys were all taken and told to grab the money off of a rug that had an electrical current running through it. They were all electrocuted because they were all soaking wet. White men that circled around them attempted to make them fall face first onto the rug. When it was time for the narrator to give his speech, the drunken white men laughed, ignored, and at times interrupted the narrator during his speech. During his speech he mistakenly said social equality when he meant to say social responsibility. This got a negative response from the crowd. When he apologized for his mistakes, they allowed him to continue until the end of his speech. The prize of his speech was an outstanding round of applause and a brief case, which enclosed a scholarship to the state college for black youth.