Lincoln Agrippa Daily also known as Banjo is wandering along the beach in Marseille, France, when he spots a group of four black boys. He starts engaging them and they become friends. The four boys are Ginger, Malty, Bugsy, and Dengel. The boys go to the beach to beg for money. The author describes the boys as feckless wanderers without a place to live, though he describes Banjo as the greatest low-life vagabond among them. Banjo is an immigrant but has cheated his way to France. Despite working on several jobs, Banjo has not succeeded in life. McKay is attributing the boys’ tribulations to their skin color.
The book explores racism subjected to black people in the 1920s and 1930s. McKay had spent time in France and observed what transpired during the time. Black people were treated as second-class citizens. Banjo and his friends hold great pride in their culture and values. Although they are discriminated against in every activity, they keep on living their lives. The author portrays an image of challenges experienced by black people living among whites. The struggle against racism and prejudice in white society posed danger to black people.
McKay shows how racial values and pride are meaningless through one of his characters, Ray. Ray is intelligent and educated but doesn’t buy into the idea of white supremacy. White people are racist and full of vicious prejudices according to Ray. The author uses Rays to demonstrate that there were educated and intelligent people who were against the idea of white supremacy.
