“The Color of Success”Watts’ “The Color of Success” (pgs. 140-145) falls under the classification and division essay. A division and classification essay emphasizes differences or puts things in categories. This is done to explain or argue a point. The Color of Success points out the differences between white and black people’s behaviors. Black people tend to do things according to how people perceived them. The essay differentiates the way white people act from how black people supposedly act. “You’re acting white” is an accusation often pointed to blacks. This is especially true if they do activities perceived to be exclusively for whites.

“The Color of Success” a division essay it differentiates white actions from black actions.

White people are believed to be more studious than blacks. Even blacks speaking Standard English is derided as acting white. Studying and getting good grades are perceived to be actions exclusively for the white people. Some black people will not strive academically in order to please their cohorts. Blacks see themselves as victims of racism and they considered themselves inferior to whites. This is the dilemma that division or separation of races bring. And this is what the author tackles in the essay.

Watts clearly pointed out that perception should not determine how we act. Whether

a person’s black or white does not make any difference. How he acts is based on personal choices and values not on one’s color. Also, it states that success is not exclusively for white people alone. Black people have the capacity to attain success too. The lives of black people Jesse Jackson, Douglas Wilder and others clearly prove this point. Black people’s fullest potentials will be realized if they stop these erroneous perceptions. How they should act should not be determined by the color of their skin.