Imperium in Imperio: A Study of the Negro Race Problem. A Novel

"Imperium in Imperio: A Study of the Negro Race Problem" by Sutton E. Griggs is a novel that examines the intricate racial landscape of late 19th-century America through the stories of characters like Belton and Bernard, highlighting their encounters with betrayal, the pursuit of education, and the quest for social justice. The story starts sombrely with Berl Trout contemplating his potential betrayal of his community, a sign of the struggles and moral quandaries to come. We meet the determined Mrs. Piedmont, who's deeply invested in her children’s education and her son Belton, who is about to confront prejudice as he begins school. The narrative underscores the educational hurdles faced by Black children, the harsh realities of prejudice, and the strong desires that push them forward, laying the foundation for Belton's experiences with both the possibility of education and the harsh truths of racial inequality, encapsulating the historic push and pull between hope and disappointment in African American existence.