Black Boy Essay For Richard Wright (for any black person) Mississippi was probably the worst place to grow up. The South in general was a difficult place to live; white people were continuously trying to keep black people down, from ever rising up and making things better for themselves. By telling black people from the time they were born that they were inferior and less human, they could effectively control the minority. These were the ideas that Richard was exposed to as he grew up, they were ingrained in him. The ideas had been so ingrained in Richard’s parents’ and grandparents’ minds that they would forever try