I am not ashamed of my grandparents for having been slaves. I am only ashamed of myself for having at one time being ashamed.

" In the wake of this disillusion Ellison began writing Invisible Man a novel that was in part his response to the party's betrayal. Writing essays about both the black experience and his love for jazz music Ellison continued to receive major awards for his work.

Ralph Waldo Ellison (March 1 1914 – April 16 1994) was an American novelist literary critic scholar and writer. He was born in Oklahoma City Oklahoma. He also wrote Shadow and Act (1964) a collection of political social and critical essays and Going to the Territory (1986).