Mr. Alums, the fifth grade teacher, tells the class, “I’ve often told you that as Negroes the world is many times a hostile place for us.” Why would he say this?

Mr. Alums is trying to encourage his class to do the best they can and better their lives. In context, he is speaking to the treatment of blacks over the course of history, trying to help his students understand that an education will help them break the cycle of oppression and inequality.