Just Say No

Wright is justified in refusing his principal’s speech. At the time of Wright’s graduation, Wright had discovered his passion for writing and was more than capable of writing a coherent speech. When he wrote his speech, it contained Wright’s own thoughts and emotions. Presenting his own speech freed Wright on some level, for it allowed him to voice his concerns and hopes to a large audience, recreating how he felt when he read his short story to his neighbor. The principal wrote Wright’s speech so that nothing vaguely disputable would be presented during graduation, but this seems both rude and cowardly on the principal’s part.
Refusing Wright’s speech is insulting because Wright had toiled in his studies to be able to present a speech at graduation. The principal should have recognized these achievements and trusted Wright to write a competent speech. The principal also forced his speech upon Wright because he feared Wright’s speech would be too radical. The principal wanted to please the whites in the graduation audience and convince them of the school’s neutrality towards the black race. His speech was canned, unemotional, and uncontroversial, and Wright’s speech was true. Wright wanted to speak the truth and share his intelligence and so justly refused the “bought (176)” principal’s speech.