"Ethnic life in the United States has become a sort of contest like baseball in which the blacks are always the Chicago Cubs"

This quote by Ishmael Reed is a commentary on the state of race relations in the United States. He is comparing the experience of African Americans to that of the Chicago Cubs, an expert baseball group that has actually not won a champion in over a century. By doing so, Reed is suggesting that African Americans are constantly striving for success, however are regularly denied the chance to attain it. He is likewise suggesting that the system is rigged versus them, as the Cubs have been not able to win a champion despite their best efforts. This quote functions as a reminder that racism is still a major concern in the United States, which African Americans are still defending equality and justice.