He preached the same thing he did while at Cambridge University, that people or more specifically black people needed change "something new, something vital- (157). Bradshaw's leadership should be recognized because he did what a lot of people would not have done "he did not give up. When the NSCA closed it doors to him he did not run with his tails between his legs but devised another way in to reach the people "through the church. .
While the reader never gets to hear Tucker's side of the story, they are nevertheless, made aware of his strength, loyalty and above all, his faith. Tucker did not have the luxury of education so his actions were not motivated by his "intelligence- but his instinct. Bethrah in explaining Tucker's behavior sums it up as such, "But Tucker, he just knows what he has to do. He doesn't think about it, he just knows- (114). What makes Tucker's actions extraordinary is that he is an "ordinary- man; his is neighbor, confidant, employee and friend. Tucker is the Negro next door that everyone either knows or can identify with. His ability to say "enough is enough- sends a message to everyone "black, white, young, and old "that it is never too late to reclaim what has been stolen from you. He says, "You only get one chance- (186) therefore it is imperative that opportunity does not pass you by. .
Tucker gives the townspeople the courage and faith in themselves to do what had been in their heart to do for years. To break loose from the chains that has for so many years bound them to the town, their jobs, their homes and their way of life. As the men on the porch watch the Negros leave they are perplexed, unable to understand the reason behind their migration. But how could they understand? As much as white men and women claim to understand the "struggle- the reality of is that they have no idea. The African American has been abused, degraded and manipulated for hundreds of years.
