BATTLE ROYAL by Ralph Ellison

This short story later became the first chapter in Ellison's novel Invisible Man. I read Invisible Man many years ago, but if I was as disturbed and uncomfortable about it as I was this story, I have managed to successfully block it out. It's so hard for me to understand a world where black people are treated worse than animals; or any other race or nationality for that matter. I know our country's history is appalling in that respect, but I, thankfully, have been insulated from being a personal witness. I don't come from a family or community that harbors those types of prejudice. It was always something that I just heard about, that happened on the fringes, some time and place far from me. This small glimpse into a hate-filled society made me ashamed and renewed my personal commitment to embrace and respect people and cultures different from my own. This seems especially poignant in this age when the word "terrorist" is bandied about so frivolously. People need to search their hearts and discover if their own wants and needs are blinding them to the humanity of others.

Lezlie

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