16 Shades of Black VOLUME 1 ISSUE 1 May 2013 | Page 28

And they’re off! Well, at least one of them is off. One of the competitors seems to have been entangled at the starting line. The man with the clean start is building up speed and tearing up the track in this race. Ah, slowly but finally the entangled man has freed himself from his involuntary bondage but his competitor is years ahead of him it seems (Slavery).

As the leader passes the baton, his competitor appears to be building speed. Wait, oh dear God, although the team mate’s apparel is in fine condition, the competitor’s gear is in disarray. His shoes seem to have been worn to pieces, his shirt is as ragged as his labored breath, and his pants are ripped as if he had been walking in a field of thorns. This doesn’t seem to be stopping him though, he still presses on, looking to catch up (Jim Crow).

Hold on folks, I’m receiving a message from the head of the Race Relations committee, it seems that a race cannot restart just because of a competitor’s attire malfunctioning, an unfair start, or other disadvantages from lack of preparation or resources. I almost feel sorry for the boy behind, if he thought he was getting help from the top of the food chain they just ate his last bit of hope (Plessy vs. Ferguson).