Evidently, the above quote illustrates that African American forefathers were independent in the past and did not accept gifts they did not rightfully earn. Mama appeals to Walter not to take Mr. Lindner’s money, a notion which Walter is pondering. She argues that hardly any of her forefathers acknowledged payoffs intended to suggest that they were unfit to exist on the earth a few centuries ago. Mama again emphasizes to Walter that he hails from a proud legacy of consciousness and identity despite the world’s attempts to diminish him as an individual due to his poverty.