Arjon 1

Laura Arjon
Professor Jackie
English 114B
7 April 2015
Racism Will Never Leave
The history of our country has always had a controversial issue of racism across the
nation. Fortunately, racism legally ended with the ending of the Civil War in 1865 and the
enactments of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments. The novel Angry Black White Boy by Adam
Mansbach explains the true identity of racism happening in America through the actions of
young adults after it has been legally over. A young white boy, Macon, who is influenced by the
black culture moves to New York for college. He works driving a taxicab and begins to rob his
passengers; everybody thinks it is a black man who is the suspect. It is then revealed that Macon
was the one who was behind every crime and he becomes a celebrity with the help of his friends.
Angry Black White Boy shows the actions of racial stereotypes and racism that are occurring in
the 21st century after years of it legally ending because of the actions Macon and his friends go
through. The novel also explains a historical figure Malcolm X who Macon idolizes to show that
he knows about the black community.
The novel Angry Black White Boy is a controversial book that shows in many ways that
racism is still alive in the country. Macon who is completely white starts off the book with being
an employee of a taxicab company and starts robbing white men while on the job. Macon
harasses his passengers at gunpoint so that they are forced to leave all of their things in the cab.
He also never at one point pulled the trigger on anyone of his passengers. Through out the book
the police were searching for an African American suspect who was committing the crimes in the
taxicab. The passengers in the back could not give the cops good evidence because they did

Arjon 2
not take a good look at Macon. This is an example that provides evidence of societys racial
profiling because society jumps straight to the suspect being black or of a colored race. Later,
Macon then asked his passengers to look and see what the color of his skin is. An example of
racial profiling given by the book is when Macon asks his victims a simple question Its not a
trick question! Take a good look. What fucking color am I (Mansbach 112). Also, in the 21st
century racism is still alive everywhere because those of a different color have been the face of
violence and the target of police brutality. Another example, in the real world is the situation of
what happened in Ferguson. In this situation, a white male cop shot an unarmed African
American teen, the dispute of the shooting enlarged in a debate with the relationship of African
Americans and the police. African Americans being involved with the police gives them a very
bad reputation because many think that everyone in the culture is dangerous in whatever they do
and always have to be treated a certain way. Alternatively, in many different crime scenes that are
showed over the news or in reality it is very rare of the suspect being of the white race, it is sad
to know that if any other race would commit the crime it would be considered normal that they
did. Macon being of the white race he is very influenced by the African American culture.
During the book Macon is caught from the crimes he committed in the taxicab. He is sent
to jail but his friends Nique and Andre help him and bail him out. As his friends later get him out
of jail Macon becomes a celebrity and his friends use him to make money off him as in taking
him to interviews, saying speeches and talking on the radio about the influences of the black
community. Also, while Macon is a celebrity he uses that as an advantage to come up with a day
of apology. Macon explains it during an interview I herby declare this Friday to be the first
Annual Day of Apology in the city of New York (Mansbach 204). This day is to be used so that
white people can go up to black people and apologize for anything that they have done wrong.

Arjon 3
Considering that Macon wants white people to just randomly go up to black people and
apologize would be considered a bit racist because black people would be very discouraged on
the fact that only white people are going up to them and saying Im sorry. However, Macon
who tries to stand up for the black community by saying that it influences him and that he wants
white people to apologize to black people just for anything their people have done. By having
only white people apologize to those of color would be racist because it is only a certain group
segregating themselves to apologize to the black people for doing nothing wrong. All in all,
Macon is open to say anything to help the black community stand up for themselves.
While Macon turns into a celebrity he uses that advantage to publicize the black
community and disrespects the white community. As Macon says on cameras before his buddies
Nique and Andre shut him down heres a sound bite. White people arent evil, but evil is white
people. Coming soon to a T-shirt near you (Mansbach 114). The way Macon shows that he is
disrespecting his own race and the others listening to him. Others in the community do not see
Macon as white because of how he acts they judge him to be part of a different race. An example
of Macon not acting his own race is by the way he interacts with other white people by
disrespecting them as well. Macon being a white boy and wearing a Malcolm X Tshirt is very
odd for the white race. Lastly, Macon has no shame of stepping out and speaking about the real
issues happening.
At the end of the civil war racism legally ended, but in society today there is still racism
going on. Fortunately it is not as bad as how black people were treated before in the early ages.
Macon describes that society is racist to the other skin colors and he describes how they dont
get the best jobs, get shot by cops, and turned down by banks (Mansbach 203). He explains that
black people do not get the greater things and that white people will always have a better
advantage for anything. It is very rare that Macon being a white boy is protecting and speaking

Arjon 4
for the black community on the issues that are going on in the book. In addition, people of color
will always be seen differently than those who are of the white race because being white is
considered normal. The article On Racism and White Privilege describes many perks that
white people have while living in a country that is dominated by the white race. Additionally,
from the article shows that the normal race white privilege shapes the world in which we live
in (White Anti-racist Activism). This can be recognized as being racist because it shows that
those of color do not have an opportunity to achieve certain things since the white race is the
group that dominates. There is a point in the novel where Macon is a little scared of the black
race because he racially profiles a black male. He is walking through a scary neighborhood at
night and comes across a big black man who then tells Macon to follow him into the dark
Macon did as he was told, scared witless, too afraid to run (Mansbach 85). After Macon
followed him it turned out that the man just wanted Macon to be a part of a skit him and his
friends were doing, but Macon completely judged him in thinking that it was going to be
something worse. This is an example of a stereotype because if a black man was hiding in an
alley at night someone would automatically assume that they are up to something that is
dangerous. Racial profiling is a big issue on where we live because many different things
influence each person. As the novel portrays many racist issues there are many stereotypes being
shown as well.
The stereotypes that are being described in the book are used to represent a certain
identity. Some way of knowing the stereotype is being used is the way Macon appears to be
dressed. The way he dresses is by wearing a Malcolm X T-shirt, baggy pants, and his Timberland
boots. Which this is not the normal way a white guy from Boston would dress. In other words,
the way someone is dressed can be a typical stereotype of characterizing the race they are
intended to be. As Macon is wearing his idols shirt, Malcolm X, everyone expects him

Arjon 5
to be a black man committing crimes. Malcolm X is a black male who articulated concepts of
race pride and black nationalism in the 1950s and 60s (A&E Television Networks). Malcolm
X was also a leader of the Black Nationalist who served as a spokesman for the nation of Islam
and was also a Civil Rights Activist. Malcolm X received terrible actions of racism through out
his life. For example, when he moved his family to Michigan they were attacked by the Ku Klux
Klan the white police and firemen came and stood around watching as the house burned down
to the ground(A&E Television Networks). Macon idolizes Malcolm X he knows everything
about the man because he has read every article about him. It is very strange that a white boy
would idolize a black man and considering that he was against the white race. All in all, Macon
respects the black community even though the color of his skin does not represent it.
Angry Black White Boy is a perfect novel explaining the hatred towards the black race
that is still going on in todays society. Macon can be recognized as a political figure because of
the way he stood for the black community but by the way he showed his actions were not the
smartest. However, it is very sad that after years of racism legally ending after the Civil War it
still goes on all across the nation because we live in a white dominated country. Racism shows
no hope to it being fixed even though historical figures are trying to change, it will only change
if everyone is on the same page. Truly, everyone should be free and be able to express how they
are as an individual without any judgments by anyone.

Arjon 6
Works Cited
Holladay Jennifer R. White Anti-Racist Activism: A Personal Roadmap.
Dostie & Douglass Books, Inc., 2000.
"Malcolm X." Bio. A&E Television Networks, 2015. Web. 14 Mar. 2015.
Mansbach, Adam. Angry Black White Boy. New York: Three Rivers, 2004.
Print.