Martin Luther King, Jr., Mohammed Ali, Fredrick Douglas, Rosa Parks, all some African Americans who helped try to change discrimination and racism in the United States. In Invisible Man, written by Ralph Ellison, the first chapter is the beginning of "The Battle Royal". In this chapter, the narrator is a black man who is trying to figure out who he is and what his place is. Ralph Ellison says, “I was searching for myself and asking everyone but me questions that I, and I alone, could answer. » (Ellison.) Like many other African Americans, the narrator just wants to see what he can do in life and do the best he can. African Americans have suffered humiliation, name-calling, bullying, emotional and/or physical abuse simply for trying to be who they wanted to be. Even though racism may not be as big of an issue these days, there was a huge battle in the past and sometimes still a struggle today. Say no to plagiarism. Get Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get Original Essay The story of “Battle Royal” by Ralph Ellison symbolizes all African Americans and their struggle for equality. The narrator endures a lot of pain, suffering, and humiliation in this story. The narrator – who does not have a specific name because he symbolizes and represents the entire black community – was considered the most brilliant of all black people. In "Battle Royal", the young man was given the opportunity to win a scholarship by giving a graduation speech to the senior figures of the white community. All the leading bankers, lawyers, judges, doctors, pastors, teachers, fire chiefs and businessmen were in the room waiting for the speech to be delivered. All African Americans were invited to the speech, but only the narrator gave the speech. As expected, he arrived expecting that white individuals would give him their respect and undivided attention while he gave his speech. Instead, he got the exact opposite. As all the colored graduates entered the room filled with cigar smoke, each was given a pair of boxing gloves and taken into the large mirrored room. Murmurs and confused looks arose. African Americans could see that there was something odd about this situation. The whiskey had already taken over everyone in the room. The narrator must endure serious humiliation during the speech presentation to receive a scholarship to enable him to realize his dreams. He arrived thinking it was going to be a positive environment, but instead he was faced with something he never imagined. Ellison explains how African Americans were pushed into the room and forced to watch a blonde dance naked. They were forced to watch even though they begged not to, and were publicly humiliated. “To my right, I saw a boy faint. And now a man grabbed a silver pitcher from a table and came over pouring ice water on him, picked him up and forced two of us to hold him up as his head hung and that moans were coming out of his thick bluish lips. Another boy started begging him to go home. He was the tallest of the group, dressed in dark red combat trunks far too small to hide the erection that protruded from him as if in response to the insinuating, low moan of the clarinet. He tried to hide with the boxing gloves. And all the while, the blonde continued to dance, smiling weakly at the bigwigs who were looking at her with fascination, andsmiling weakly at our fear. (Ellison.) This is just one of the cases of public humiliation that these African Americans faced. The narrator was just going to give a speech to receive a scholarship, so he could pursue his dreams and see what he could accomplish with his life. It's like pure torture for these poor, innocent young men. These boys were treated this way simply because of the color of their skin. No one would have ever thought in a million years to do that to a white man or woman, especially if it was a black man or woman on the other hand. This shows how whites and blacks were not equal. Inequality between whites and blacks was not limited to public humiliation, it continued to other life events. “Public schools, water fountains, lunch counters and swimming pools had not been integrated. A lot of people in white America liked it just fine - and yet it was far enough along in the story that many of them knew they shouldn't really like it. (Kluger.) In those days, most things were not separate. Great inequality and a situation of non-segregation between whites and blacks was sport. A good, and probably the most well-known, example of inequality in sport would be, yes, that’s right…. JACKIE ROBINSON.August 28, 1945, Branch Rickey – manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers – had a several-hour meeting with Mr. Robinson because he wanted to recruit him to the team. Rickey wanted to break the color barrier and had also seen Jackie's talents and knew he would be the right person to overcome it. Branch mentioned to Robinson that he had to be prepared to deal with all the humiliation and harassment that no player had ever faced. Jackie agreed and kept her signing a secret until Branch published it. Two months later, Branch announced that Jackie was joining the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Dodgers were in Montreal, where their main farm was located, when the announcement of Jackie's arrival was made. Jackie played phenomenally in Montreal in 1946. Later in 1947, he was promoted to the Dodgers. Rubinstein said that Robinson's "presence produced a barrage of racial slurs and insults, particularly from the Philadelphia Phillies, a club known for taunting opposing players." Despite everything that was said, Jackie never fought back or argued. This heroic act put Jackie and Branch in the crosshairs of the public, the press and other actors. Jackie faced a lot of harsh criticism and words thrown at him, but he never lost heart. He showed great restraint by not retaliating. He chose to let his talent speak. No matter how much he wanted to defend his interests or those of his family, all he had to do was sit down and breathe to stay calm. If Robinson had yelled at one of the mean people insulting him, he probably would have been just another half-failed track star. A really interesting film about the life of Jackie Robinson, his journey through his baseball career, and the growth of his family is called 42 on Netflix, and it is a MUST-SEE! Jackie Robinson was not the only African American to face racial issues in sports. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay The Movie 42 and the Complete Story of Jackie Robinson's Journey life/career in baseball relates very well to the story of "Battle Royal" as both stories feature black men trying to find and prove themselves. In doing so, they were harassed and humiliated. They have it/.