The average rating for this novel was 4.1 out of 5. The members thought that this book which was written in 1969 was timely and still applicable in 2008. The dress code has changed but the condition of American Blacks is still very much the same. They saw themselves in the main character Freeman who had to be a different individual when at work with whites. After work hours he was able to be himself. Many members confessed to having wore masks in the company of whites or at when at work, to the point that when they actually made a comment that was considered Black, their coworkers would look at them strange. Some said they even had to wear masks around other Black people. If they removed the mask and exposed their African self, these Blacks would look at them as if they were crazy or militant.

We then spoke of the effectiveness of a token Black integrating into the system to make a revolutionary social change. One member remarked that as Blacks we don’t have much choice other than to integrate, because whites are not integrating to us. They have the power. Another member said unfortunately the integration is necessary to make a change, we have to change the system from within. However it can be very difficult to stay focused and do what’s expected when you are immersed in the enemy’s world. A member noted that we must be skeptical when the government appoints a token Black because the token is not bringing the rest of the community with them. We celebrate Black leaders and celebrities but these influential figures can only do so much before the controllers of the system decide to take away their money and status. Other members felt that Freeman was an excellent leader as he was training the young Blacks of the streets to be leaders and to carry on the movement even after he died. They felt that if Martin Luther King had taken this approach then Black America would be a lot better off today.

This novel also forced members to examine their personal lives and their children who are being fed a fantasy and are very disillusioned about life in North America. We know that things are not right. That we should work to make them better but many parents don’t know how to do better and thus their children suffer under this system. We often perpetuate the same stereotypes, which we’ve been trying to defeat. Or we put down other Blacks because we can fit into white society better than they can. The one resolution that we came to was that we must correct ourselves, be the change that we want and be consistent in living that change. It may not have happen overnight but we know that splashing water can mold rocks over time. Like Freeman who’s revolutionary plan took at least 15 years to really take shape, we must be patient.