Racism In Chester Himes If He Hollers Let Him Go

“The whole structure of American thought was against me; American tradition had convicted me a hundred years before. And standing there … having to take it, knowing that I was innocent and that I didn't have a chance” (187). This was the demoralized perspective the majority of African Americans had in society during the 1940s, an era corrupted with uncontrollable racism and pure hatred towards the minorities. There was no equality, no opportunity, and no hope available for 99% of all the African Americans who were trying to enhance their lives. They were always subservient to whites. In Chester Himes’s novel, If He Hollers Let Him Go, Himes demonstrates the struggle life presents for African Americans in comparison to whites, as well as the

Bob and Alice had different methods in doing so. Bob is disgusted with the existence of racism and the amount of inequality and injustice that hinders his life. With every inch of his body, Bob attempts to fight the war of racism and eliminate the detrimental effects it has on individuals of color. The rejected feeling Bob gets when in the vicinity of white people, or even high class light skin blacks, makes him feel “like an intruder and it made [him] slightly resentful” (49). By not feeling welcome in society, even at his own girlfriend’s house, Bob begins to feel powerless and dehumanized. When speaking with Tom Leighton, a well-off white man, Bob shares his perspective on the proper method to solve the problem of racism. He declares, “The only solution to the Negro problem is a revolution. We’ve got to make white people respect us and the only thing white people have ever respected is force” (89). When Tom questions the legitimacy of a revolution solely funded and run by blacks, Bob responds that success will not arise unless the white people actively support the black cause. Bob’s comment demonstrates his strong views towards society. He realizes that white people are the ones with power, and to bring any change, the whites must agree and want it. The only feasible manner to do so in Bob’s eyes is to bring resistance to their intolerable