The Ways of White Folks

Set in Chicago, the story is structured as a letter written by a son, Jack, to his mother. Jack apologizes to his mother for ignoring her on the street the night before. At the same time, he thanks her for ignoring him, too. Jack is biracial and passes for White; his mother is Black. Jack’s passing allows him to get a good job for a Southerner. Living around White people, Jack overhears their prejudices and hostility toward Black people. Jack remains resilient, however, writing, “But I don’t mind being ‘white’, Ma, and it was mighty generous of you to urge me to go ahead and make use of my light skin and good hair. It got me this job Ma, where I still get $65 a week in spite of the depression” (52). Despite the better economic opportunities, Jack feels bad for ignoring his own family.

On the street the night before, Jack was with a beautiful girl whom he plans to marry. She is of German-American heritage, and Jack has no plans to tell her he is half Black. He has decided to live in the White world and doesn’t want to worry about color anymore. He hopes to transfer to San Francisco or New York, where he won’t have to worry about running into his family.