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white men although Josh has told them that his group does not disturb anybody. It shows the practice of racism because the white men attack the black men who do not
disturb anybody. When Josh’s group is in the hospital to protect the building, the white men led
by Captain McBane burn the hospital down: Some brought hay, some kerosene, and others wood from a pile which had
been thrown into a vacant lot nearby. Several safe ways of approach to the building were discovered and the combustibles placed and fired. The flames,
soon gaining a foothold, leaped upward, catching here and there at the exposed wood work, and licking the walls hungrily with long tongues of
flame Chesnutt, 2002: 232.
The quotation shows that the white men burn down the hospital where Josh’s group is in. It reveals the practice of racism because by burning down the hospital, the white
men may kill the black men who are inside the building.
3. Racism Experienced by Jerry Letlow
Jerry Letlow experiences the practice of racism when he and other employees congratulate Major Carteret for his child’s birth:
The whole office force, including reporters, compositors, and pressmen, came in to congratulate the major and smoke at his expense. Even Jerry, the colored
porter, — Mammy Jane’s grandson and therefore a protégé of the family, — presented himself among the rest, or rather, after the rest. The major shook
hands with them all except Jerry, though he acknowledged the porter’s congratulations with a kind of nod and put a good cigar into his outstretched
palm... Chesnutt, 2002: 61.
The quotation tells that Major Carteret shakes hands with all of his employees except Jerry. It reveals the practice of racism because Major Carteret does not want to shake
hands with Jerry just because he is a black person.
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Jerry gets some racist treatments from Captain McBane. One of them is when Jerry brings two whole chairs for the captain and General Belmont: “He set a chair
for the general, who gave him an amiable nod, to which Jerry responded with a bow and a scrape. Captain McBane made no acknowledgement, but fixed Jerry so fiercely
with his single eye…” Chesnutt, 2002: 65. That Captain McBane “fixed so fiercely with his single eye” shows the practice of racism. It is because by doing so, the
captain does not respect Jerry just because Jerry is a black person. That Captain McBane often does the practice of racism is also revealed when
he gives Jerry half a dollar to buy him three whiskies: “The captain tossed the half dollar at Jerry, who, looking to one side, of course missed it” Chesnutt, 2002: 67.
The quotation tells that Captain McBane throws the money at Jerry. It shows the practice of racism because by doing so, the captain gives no respect to Jerry since
Jerry is a black person. That Jerry often gets racist treatments from Captain McBane is also revealed
when General Belmont orders him to buy three cocktails. The captain says to Jerry: “And make has’e, charcoal, for we ’re gettin’ damn dry” Chesnutt, 2002: 98. It can
be interpreted that Captain McBane does the practice of racism by calling Jerry “charcoal.” It is because the color of charcoal is black and Captain McBane calls
Jerry “charcoal” to insult him who is a black person. Jerry also gets racist treatment from General Belmont. It happens when the
general orders Jerry to buy three cocktails: “Jerry, you lump of ebony, the sight of you reminds me If your master does n’t want you for a minute, step across to Mr.
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Brown’s and tell him to send me three cocktails” Chesnutt, 2002: 199. By calling Jerry “lump of ebony,” General Belmont does the practice of racism. It is because
ebony is a black wood and by calling Jerry “lump of ebony,” the general insults Jerry who is a black person.
When Jerry uses some cosmetics to lighten his skin and to straighten his hair, Major Carteret says to him:
Jerry, when I hired you to work for the Chronicle, you were black. The word ‘negro’ means ‘black.’ The best negro is a black negro, of the pure type, as it
came from the hand of God. If you wish to get along well with the white people, the blacker you are the better, — white people do not like negroes who
want to be white. A man should be content to remain as God made him and where God placed him Chesnutt, 2002: 195.
By saying “A man should be content to remain as God made him and where God placed him,” Major Carteret does the practice of racism. It is because by doing so, the
major says implicitly that God wills that a Black is lower than a White. Jerry gets another racist treatment from Major Carteret. The major asks him
whether or not he is going to vote at the next election and Jerry replies: “What would you ’vise me ter do, suh?” Then the major says:
I do not advise you. You ought to have sense enough to see where your own interests lie. I put it to you whether you cannot trust yourself more safely in
the hands of white gentlemen, who are your true friends, than in the hands of ignorant and purchasable negroes and unscrupulous white scoundrels?
Chesnutt, 2002: 195.
The quotation tells that Major Carteret wants Jerry to “remain away from the polls” because white gentlemen do not like black people who vote Chesnutt, 2002: 195. It
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shows the practice of racism because Major Carteret thinks that black people are second class citizen and therefore they do not deserve to vote.
Jerry has heard twice the conversation between Major Carteret, Captain McBane, and General Belmont about the campaign of white supremacy. One of them
is when he is waiting for the call from the major: He could hear the major, now and then, use the word “negro,” and McBane’s
deep voice was quite audible when he referred, it seemed to Jerry with alarming frequency, to “the damned niggers,” while the general’s suave tones
now and then pronounced the word “niggro”… Chesnutt, 2002: 66
Although Jerry do not understand all what the “Big Three” are saying, he realizes that “something serious was on foot, involving his own race” Chesnutt, 2002: 66. In
another time, Jerry also hears the conversation about white supremacy: “While Jerry stood outside, the conversation within was plainly audible, and some inkling of its
purport filtered through his mind” Chesnutt, 2002: 99. He hears that the “Big Three” are talking about an editorial in the black newspaper. The editorial discusses
lynching and it suggests that most lynchings are “not for crimes at all but for voluntary acts which might naturally be expected to follow from the miscegenation
laws” Chesnutt, 2002: 97. The “Big Three” think that the editorial is “good campaign matter” because it can anger Whites and that they will print the editorial in
order to “organize the white people on the color line,” meaning that they organize the white people to fight against black people Chesnutt, 2002: 99-100. They will also
organize “a little demonstration with red shirts and shotguns, scare the negroes into fits, win the state for white supremacy, and teach our colored fellow citizens that we
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are tired of negro domination and have put an end to it forever” Chesnutt, 2002: 100. The plan of “Big Three” to make the campaign of white supremacy reveals the
practice of racism. It is because by making the campaign, they organize white people to make a demonstration to scare the black people.
Jerry experiences the practice of racism in the riot. He is inside the hospital where Josh Green’s group is retaliating against the white men’s attack. When seeing
Major Carteret, he waves “his handkerchief as a flag of truce” and shouts: “Majah Carteret —
O Majah It ’s me, suh, Jerry, suh I did n’ go in dere myse’f, suh, — I wuz drag’ in dere I would n’ do nothin’ ’g’inst de w’ite folks, suh— no, ’ndeed, I would
n’, suh” Chesnutt, 2002: 233. Despite his flag of truce and explanation, he receives “a volley of shots from the mob” Chesnutt, 2002: 233. The quotations tell that he is
shot by the white men. It shows the practice of racism because they shoot him despite his flag of truce and his explanation that he will not do anything against white people.
They shoot him just because he is a black person.
4. Racism Experienced by Dr. Miller
