Mr. Chesterfield

In "Blue," Mr. Chesterfield represents the feelings and opinions of the white world and also the attempts by some people within marginalized groups to gain social standing by pushing their own people down. Sister Memphis, named Martha as a child, is repeatedly pushed down by her mother, especially in the presence of Mr. Chesterfield, a man she is trying to court, simply because she has dark skin. The man continually looks at her in disgust and her mother goes so far as to say to him that she is her niece rather than her daughter. This drives her toward the Nation of Islam when she grows up, as they cherish dark skin.

The Swan

In "New Mexico," the Swan is a symbol for the covert racism that high-ranking members of the Nation of Islam traffic in even though they are ostensibly vehemently anti-racist. The Swan...