“The white folks had sure brought their white to work with them that morning.”
Jones is a victim of systemic racism in America, like most black Americans during the mid-20th century. Therefore, as an individual working at the same jobs as the white workers on their company floor, he has to face this prejudice on a daily basis. In the assertion, Jones makes an assessment of the injustice he has to face which differs in degree every day. Thus, in the statement, he points out how on that particular day the racist white coworkers were more aggressive in their tone and words. He receives verbal abuse from his coworkers and even manipulated and taunted by some female workers.
“All that tight, crazy feeling of race as thick in the street as gas fumes. Every time I stepped outside I saw a challenge I had to accept or ignore.”
Aware of the race consciousness in his surroundings, Jones has to learn to either adapt to the situation or just tolerate it. Due to the constant prejudice and passive-aggressive behaviors directed at him, Jones grows into an angry and spiteful black man. The statement alludes to how racism either renders the victims into vengeful individuals or fosters double consciousness. In Jones’ case it is both, internally he feels the urge to act upon his vengeful side whereas he also attempts to harbor this double self to maneuver through the racist society.
