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All across America, the saying, ‘Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me’ can be heard amongst the school children. In Richard Wright’s autobiography Black Boy, readers were able to understand how erroneous the maxim is. Hurtful words and comments can scar a person’s soul for the rest of their life. Even in present day, “colored” people are abused and taunted by words of hate. Unquestionably, these people are scarred for life. On the other hand, words also have a beneficial power. Martin Luther King Jr. used his power of speech valuably and was able to significantly help minorities of race move towards a brighter future. Wright portrays how powerful words are and benefits and disadvantages words have given him. Such incidents are when Richard curses his grandmother in the bathtub, when he distributes and sells the Ku Klux Klan supported newspapers, and his encounter with H.L. Mencken. Richard’s