A December 1947 Ebony article called the figure "the biggest bonanza ever pocketed by a colored writer" and stated that the book was "the first Negro-authored novel ever bought by a Hollywood studio."
The Ebony magazine of December 1947 referred to the figure as "an enormous earnings opportunity for a colored author," while also stating that the book was "the inaugural novel penned by a black writer signed with a leading Hollywood production company."