Quote 1
"I have no idea." He stared at me, and I realized that I had not answered him in the proper manner. "Sir," I added. (3.45)
In this scene Grant shows how race determines everything about a person in their relationships with the world, even the way they are supposed to speak to others. He knows that he is supposed to call Henri "Sir", because as a white man he is Grant's superior.
Quote 2
"We black men have failed to protect our women since the time of slavery. We stay here in the South and are broken, or we run away and leave them alone to look after the children and themselves." (21.86)
This statement by Grant shows the very deep effects that the history of slavery can have on family structures and gender relationships for an entire race. Even though slavery had ended almost a hundred years before (not actually a long time, historically speaking), its legacy still limits black men's choices in the South.
Quote 3
"You go'n buy that?"
I looked around at the short, stout, powdered-faced white woman.
"Yes, ma'am." Her face changed, but only a little. (22.89-92)
Whoa, racial profiling. This shopkeeper is doubting Grant's purchasing power because he's a black man. This is a double dose of prejudice: the prejudice against black people and the prejudice against poor people. It's gross, and it's unfortunately still happening today.