Finally In the Lead

"'No, wait,' I yelled. 'Let's follow a leader, let's organize. Organize.'" (276) This is how our protagonist began forming an army of followers in his fight for equality. Or at least that was his plan. Realizing that he had a greater mission in the world than he would've ever thought, the protagonist decides to be the leader and speech maker he knew he could be. He finally accepts the job proposal by Brother Jack, in which he is asked to give speeches as part of his organization in order to bring his race to action.

When the protagonist finally gave him a chance, Brother Jack introduced the job like this: "How would you like to be the new Booker T. Washington?" (305) Interestingly enough, the protagonist had already portrayed Washington once before, when the phrase "social equality" slipped his lips giving a speech. The protagonist accepts, willing to be seen as the much needed leader in this community. However, the job comes with its important changes. Describing his first experiences, the protagonist said "Inside I found a name written on a slip of paper. 'That is you new name,' Brother Jack said." (309) This change is not felt very strongly by the reader, as we never really knew the protagonist name. However, it's even more a way for him to represent all blacks instead of just an individual character. In being a leader, the protagonist has to rid himself of his own personality to instead become each one of the audience members at the same time.

Then, a metaphor we hadn't heard before comes up in the story. The protagonist is remembering the times when his father "had been beaten blind in a crooked fight," and "of the scandal that had been suppressed, and how the fighter had died in a home for the blind." (334) This metaphor actively describes the "crooked fight" of racial equality, in which the blacks have been "beaten blind." They can no longer see that they are in a fight, as they have become submissive of their place in society. The "home for the blind" is the south, were the blacks who don't think of changing anything stay during their whole lives, conveniently oblivious of the fight going on outside, where they "die blind". It is as if the blacks were trying to fight for their own rights, yet they hadn't been able to organize so as to fight willingly and with open eyes. This is where the protagonist comes in. He is that necessary leader who will teach the blacks the right way to fight.

While giving his first speech in front of a great audience, following up the speeches of Brother Jack on all others from the brotherhood, the protagonist can barely contain his emotions.  He had planned his whole speech, but in the actual moment, the words controlled him and flew out of him with no second thought. He had the answer as to what the race was doing wrong: "do you know what makes us so uncommon? We let them do it." (343) The protagonist finally addresses the fact that it is their own fault for allowing their condition to be imposed down upon them. They are the only people (therefore uncommon) who would allow this to happen to them. Here comes, then, the protagonist's solution to their problem: they have to develop the strength to stop permitting to be treated how they are treated. Before others can change, blacks themselves have to believe in their own humanity.