richard...losing his dignity or not?

I feel like no matter what, Richard always had to degrade himself--just to feed himself and keep a job. When he worked for the evil store clerk and son, I felt like he degraded not only himself, but his race as well. He was disgusted and angry at what the two men did to black people, but at the same time, he couldn't do anything about it. He wanted to keep his job and at the very least, stay alive. Practically every moment of his life, Richard has to think before he speaks, he can't look any white man in the eye, he can't look towards a white man's direction, and he certainly can't insult a white man. Unfair you say? Well sonny, this was the South.