Richard Wright's short story The Man Who Lived Underground provides a fairly accurate description of the position in which most black men found themselves during the years immediately following the Great Depression.

Clearly, one of the central themes in this story is racism. The police accuse the man of a crime he did not commit and because he is black; they are confident they will not be disciplined for their brutal interrogation techniques. When the man returns to try to explain himself, the officers do not feel obligated to listen to him. The case is not unlike countless others: a white woman is murdered and a black servant immediately becomes the prime suspect. He is beaten and bullied and forced to sign a confession statement for a crime they know he didn't commit.

Later, when the real killer is found, the officers conveniently "forget" they...