Life on the Color Line: The True Story of a White Boy Who Discovered He Was Black

Williams is surprised that the sophomore football team, on which he’s the starting quarterback, wins 9 of 10 games. They come together as one when the coach impresses on them that they’ll amount to nothing if they don’t accept each other as teammates. Williams begins his junior year on the football team as a second teamer. He doesn’t play at all until about five games into the season, when the starting quarterback breaks his ankle. The coach then institutes a series of new plays and says, “Okay, Williams, it’s time for you to be a man” (206).

John F. Kennedy comes to town as a presidential candidate. The students at Central High are released so that they can attend Kennedy’s speech. Kennedy arrives on stage with an august group of politicians sitting immediately behind him. One of the male politicians brazenly stands, leans over, and kisses Kennedy on the cheek. Williams wonders who would do such a thing. The man who kissed him refuses to sit down, waving his arms and making a scene. Looking closer, Williams realizes that the man is his father, who is drunk. Tony is jailed shortly after this for drunk and disorderly conduct and receives a $25 fine.