What is the central conflict in "Battle Royal"?

"" is actually chapter 1 of 's acclaimed novel
, though
it is often excerpted as a short story in
textbooks. In the story, the narrator is a young
African-American man who is
invited to give a speech to a group of powerful, influential white
male
community leaders. This is the same speech he had recently delivered at his high
school
graduation, and it echoes a famous speech by Booker T. Washington in
which he advocates for an
accommodationist approach to race
relations.

When the narrator arrives to
deliver his
speech, he is told he must compete in a boxing...