Group D: The Nig in Me

                In “The Nig in Me”, Mosley addresses the major issue of racism but also manages to criticize other aspects of society. The racist mentality of the people in this story can be seen on many different scales. Harold, the black protagonist, is even subjected to racism from his white best friend, Jamey, who refers to black people as “nigs”. However, the friendly relationship between the two is not interrupted by Jamey’s background as a white male. Despite regulations and laws set in place to prevent acts or gestures of racism, white people still carried notions of superiority when comparing themselves to minority races in general. This is evident in the scene when Harold is leaving Yasmine after she died and lady in the elevator mentions that the white folk get more attention from the nurses and city service members. Mosley is directly criticizing the imbalance in medical attention based on social class or status in our society by exaggerating it in the story. The “uppers”, as they are called, are given the best health provisions, such as the “Life Plan”. The most extreme form of racism in this story is the direct attempt of the International Socialist Party to remove the race of blacks entirely from the world through genetic bio warfare. This issue is straight forward and obvious, with no gray areas. Thus, Harold and all other black people in the story are facing a multitude of adversity based solely on their race.