The 15th Amendment (read more about it here) was passed after the American Civil War in 1870, and it granted African American citizens the right to vote. However, even this new amendment did not change white people's behaviours or keep them from expressing racism.
Liars Don't Qualify
Liars Don't Qualify, by Junius Edwards (seen in the picture to the right) tells the story of a man named Will who goes through an interview process to try and register to vote. He is ultimately denied that right because of the colour of his skin.
Black or white?
The author did not tell us the race of the three characters, but through his exclusive use of dialogue throughout the story, the readers could figure it out by the ways the characters reacted to each other and the way they were treated.
All the characters except Will are white.
Will is in the middle of his registration process when another man comes in and interrupts:
“How you all? How about registering.” Sam smiled. Charlie looked up and smiled. “Take care of you right away,” Sam said, and then to Will. “Boy. Wait outside.” As Will went out, he heard Sam’s voice: “Take a seat, please. Take a seat. Have you fixed up in a little bit. Now, what’s your name?" (Edwards 2).
A white man comes in to vote, and he is greeted with smiles from Sam and Charlie, and is offered a seat.
Will never gets offered a seat.
Sam also interrupts Will's registration to register this new man, clearly showing that he cares more about this new man than Will. He refers to Will as "boy", making him feel lesser and stupid.
Sam then interrogates Will, asking him if he believes what the Declaration says about all men being created equal. Will says he does, and Sam can't believe his ears.
“This boy, here . . . believes that all men are equal, like it says in The Declaration.”
"Now, Sam. Now you know that’s not right. You know good and well that’s not right. You heard him wrong. Ask him again, Sam. Ask him again, will you?”
Sam and Charlie cannot believe that Will thinks himself equal to them, since he is black and they are white. Their reaction to Will's opinion of the declaration proves that Will is black and they are not.
Analyzing the characters
Will is a very brave character for trying to register to vote, and he is also humble and wise.
“Are you smart?”
“No, sir" (Edwards 3).
By saying no, Will shows that he is not pretending to be something he isn't and has accepted himself as he is.
Sam thinks he is superior and is disrespectful towards Will, which is shown by everything he says, as well as his actions, such as tossing the candy wrapper at Will's feet. Sam refers to Will as "boy" which makes him feel more powerful and makes Will feel insignificant.
In Conclusion...
Racism is deeply rooted in our society, and even when laws are passed for African American rights, white people still believe they are better, and don't change their behaviours. Even now there is still racism present, and we need to continue fighting to get rid of it.
Read more About the Black Lives Matter movement here: Black Lives Matter
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