the crowd- Molly and Sally. Even from adistance I saw shock register on their faces. (46). Previously the girls had seen Gregoryas their white friend from school, but as soon as they saw him on the other side of town,they knew he wasnt racially what he appeared to be. From probably been taught by theirparents, this friendship would no longer exist. Having friends of another race was just notaccepted. At that instant Gregory had experienced double-consciousness. His friendsMolly and Sally saw him instantaneously change, even though neither his appearance norhis personality had changed. He was still the same boy, at least he thought he was.A similar situation arose on the playground while a group of African Americanboys were playing football and Gregory and his little brother Mike joined in. The footballgame started to get rough, and Mike was tackled to the ground. Shocked by this, bothGregory and Mike questioned the reason for the violence. An African American boy gavethen a sharp answer, This is tackle. We get you down any way we can... It ainttwo-handed touch like you crackers play. (47). Gregory is now put into the positionwhere he is looked at as a white boy, a cracker. Now not being seen as an AfricanAmerican boy as Molly and Sally saw him, he had to try to fit in somewhere. No matterhow he was perceived, someone had a problem with it at that point in Gregorys life. Gregory enters adolescence and is finally accepted into the African Americancommunity by establishing friendships on the African American playground, having jobs inthe community and also by excelling in school. He befriends a boy, Brian Settles, who hemet while playing hide-and-go-seek one summer afternoon. Brian and Gregory becamebest friends. They swam together, fished and played basketball together. Gregory beganto be happy with where he was and who his new friends were. One afternoon whilewalking onto the basketball court at Madison Street Pla...
