In a room where four men were seated at a large table. One of them rose and walked round to shake hands with me. He introduced his colleagues and then indicated a chair, in which I seated myself. After asking me briefly about my place of birth and my Royal Sir Force experience, they began to question me carefully on telecommunications. Now I was confident, at ease with a familiar subject. They questioned me thoroughly, but I was relaxed now. The years of study and work began to pay off, and I knew I was doing well. I was even enjoying it. When it was over, Mr. Symonds, the man who had welcomed me, leaned back in his chair and said: “Well, now, my colleagues and I are completely satisfied with your replies and we feel sure that, in terms of qualifications, ability and experience, you are well suited to the post we have in mind. But we are faced with a certain difficulty. If we employ you, it means we must place you in a position of authority over a number of our English employees. Many of them have been with us for a ling time and we feel sure that your appointment would upset good relations within the firm. We could not offer you r post without the responsibility, and we would not ask you to accept one or two other positions of a different type. They exist, but they are not suitable for someone like you. So, I’m afraid, we will not be able to offer you the job.” I felt suddenly weak, and I was quite unable to think. Yet somehow I managed to leave that office, realizing that I had either forgotten or completely ignored during six exciting years of the war—my own black skin.