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Sabrina Reyes
Professor Jackie
English 114B
16 March, 2015
Racism, Blame and Guilt in Angry Black White Boy
Adam Mansbach is the brave author of Angry Black White Boy. The novel follows the
fictional character Macon Detornay a white Jewish kid who has a deep love for African
Americans, their culture and an even deeper hate against white. One day Macon feels that
himself and black people have had it with the mistreatment against their race so he creates A
Day of Apology an event from his Race Traitor Project. A day when white people must go
around town apologizing for everything that has happened to black people. The event doesnt
turn out as planned and Macons true colors are exposed. Racism, blame and guilt are three big
sections of the behaviors between black and white. Macon is blinded by thinking that he is for
the white people when really he a race traitor to the race he adores.
Racial profiling is a common issue in the book and in reality with African Americans
because it is with them that we see the most deprecation and violence upon the innocent. It has
been proven over time, simply through history that the main contributors of racism towards
African Americans have been white people. One day when Macon is driving his cab he decides
to stop for a white woman. Once she gets in his cab she says Thank God. I thought Id never
find a white cab driver.(Mansbach,108) Im not taking my chances with that maniac on the
lose. Hes some kind of black militant wacko or something. Im not a prejudiced person. But this
guyhe robs white people and cops cant find him. I dont want to get raped. (Mansbach,109)
The crimes committed are robbery, no one ever mentioned anything about rape, this is an

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example of how white people exaggerate every act of violence when black people commit it. Her
knowledge of his alleged race leads her to this conclusion and her claim to not being prejudice
results in her statement to be exactly that. With so little words she makes the robber out worse
than he already is and the truth is the robber is not even black, he is white Macon Detornay.
Racism of African Americans begins back at the time of slaves, which was the beginning
of their downfall as a race. Due to the culture that embodies Hip Hop, violence is a big issue and
African Americans have been crowned the origin of this issue. So, when the police description of
the cab robber turns out to be a black male the issue is presented. The victims could not see
clearly through the partition in the cab so they assumed Macon was black because apparently
only a black person would commit a crime like this. When Nique is telling Andre about the
robber he says Only niggas do shit like thishe flips and robs these two yuppies at gunpoint.
(Mansbach ,55) It is even detrimental that Andre is okay with the relationship between his people
and violence. This racist remark coming from a man of color about another man of color expands
the racisms shown towards African Americans in the novel, provoking them to live up to the title
of violent.
Aside from Macons story the novel contains moments from baseball games played by
Fleet Walker and Cap Anson. Macon is the great-grandson of Cap Anson and his roommate
Andre is the great-grandson of Fleet Walker. Walker was a brave African American ball player
during the time of segregated baseball and Anson was never afraid to show his animosity
towards him. For this Macon carries around the guilt and burden of his great-grandfathers
actions towards Andres great-grandfather and African Americas in general. It is no coincidence
that Macon and Andre are room mates because Macon called the housing office to make it
happen. When Macon tells Andre who his grandfather is Andre couldnt care less; We are total

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strangers, Macon.( Mansbach ,31) Andre said. Yeah but we got history said Macon and Andre
responds with So what? Are you anything like Anson? Do you hate black people? Then Macon
says, Im nothing like him. Well, man, Fleet really has no bearing on my life says Andre.
Macon thought if he roomed with Andre he could some how make amends for the pass and he
feels worse when Andre doesnt care.
He is so embedded in the idea that all white people are in debt to African Americans for
the prejudice injustice that has been served to them throughout the years. Macon becomes a
celebrity/activist after people discover that it was he committing those robberies. During an
interview he declares a National Day of Apology. Macon says On behalf of The Race Traitor
ProjectI herby declare this Friday to be the first annual Day Of Apology. I want white folks to
meditate on what it is theyre apologizing forand walk right up to black folks on the street and
say theyre sorry. Dont expect forgiveness; the point is to acknowledge how messed up things
are and to take a little bit of personal responsibility.( Mansbach ,204-5)
The novel shares the idea that black people are to blame for violence and white people
are to blame for racism. When The Day of Apology comes, the crowd is confused on what
exactly it is that they should be apologizing for and Nique lays it out for them. He shouts out to
the crowd saying, Imagine youre walking home late at night and you see me coming down a
dark alley right towards you. Whats the first thing that crosses your scared honkey minds.
Apologize for that. (Mansbach, 229) The white crowd agrees in unison that they do develop
racist reactions in situations like those. Nique is right to put the blame of black oppression on
white people because they just admitted it. Even Macon who considers himself a non-racist cant
deny how he truly feels about African Americans. In chapter six, Macon decides to take a stroll
through the park, A notty-beared black dude staggered into view around the next

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bend.( Mansbach, 84) And as he passed Macon, Macon wiped sweat from his forehead,
shaking it from his hand onto the pavement. Macon turned his head sideways, checking out his
shadow underneath the streetlights and the scant moon, hoping to see a Classic American Profile.
Instead, his face was stretched flat against the ground, pale and distorted.(Mansbach, 85) This
shows his mistrust with African Americans, he was so scared and nervous because a black guy
walked by him at night. If he were truly on the side of black people then he wouldnt have
needed the comfort of a person of his color. Macon should also take the blame of racism towards
African Americans because he clearly has no faith in them.
The Day of Apology turns into a huge mess, something Macon did not expect but is to
blame for. The day that was called for peace and forgiveness turned into a riot; Blacks in
Harlem, Brooklyn and the Bronx have already lashed out at the drovers of white people visiting
their communities with intentions of apologizing. Whites in Manhattan have also initiated
violence a group of white men with baseball bats was just detained by po-po after a black
woman heard them chanting No apologies as they walked past the house where she
works.( Mansbach, 246) Now, he cant control peoples actions but when Nique tells him to say
something, he refuses. Youve got to do somethingYou gotta say somethingtheyre gonna
blame this all on you said Andre. Macon doesnt deny that claim by saying As well they
shouldIf I hadnt thought black people could handle their stupid asses( Mansbach, 262).
Eventually Macon does speak up but his words move no change; he cant handle the blame so he
leaves. If Macon was a true leader then he wouldnt have walked away from an issue that he
wants to change to bad. He walks away carrying and accepting the blame but there is no
resolution for the issue.

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Perhaps white people will forever be in debt African Americans but at the same time we
must accept the past for what it was and move on. The day of apology was actually a brilliant
idea but no one, not even Macon expected it to end the way it did. It could have been the start of
a new beginning but not even Macon, the leader of the event was going to stand in that front line
to fight. Racism in this novel is used to subvert the African American race through racial
profiling. When the lady in Macons cab says, thank God youre not black, that is sending a
bad reputation to black people making them seem dangerous. Macon tried so hard to make those
around him believe that he wasnt racist but under his hip-hop inspired clothing style he was still
a racist white boy. Macon was not the activist he thought he was, his idol Malcolm X would have
been disappointed.

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Works Cited Page

Mansbach, Adam. Angry Black White Boy, Or, The Miscegenation of Macon Detornay: A Novel.
New York: Three Rivers, 2004. Print.