▁accessible . ▁Though ▁pra ised ▁in ▁some ▁qu arters , ▁many ▁others ▁den ounced ▁the ▁change ▁as ▁c ensor ship . ▁ ▁The ▁writer ▁and ▁photograph er ▁Carl ▁Van ▁V ech ten ▁took ▁the ▁opposite ▁view ▁to ▁Con rad ' s ▁publish ers ▁when ▁he ▁ad vised ▁the ▁British ▁novel ist ▁Ron ald ▁Fir bank ▁to ▁change ▁the ▁title ▁of ▁his ▁ 1 9 2 4 ▁novel ▁Sor row ▁in ▁Sun light ▁to ▁P ran cing ▁N igger ▁for ▁the ▁American ▁market , ▁and ▁it ▁became ▁very ▁successful ▁there ▁under ▁that ▁title . ▁Van ▁V ech ten , ▁a ▁white ▁supp orter ▁of ▁the ▁Har lem ▁Renaissance ▁( 1 9 2 0 s – 3 0 s ), ▁then ▁used ▁the ▁word ▁himself ▁in ▁his ▁ 1 9 2 6 ▁novel ▁N igger ▁Heaven , ▁which ▁prov oked ▁controvers y ▁in ▁the ▁black ▁community . ▁Of ▁the ▁controvers y , ▁Lang ston ▁Hugh es ▁wrote : ▁ ▁Ten ▁Little ▁N ig gers ▁was ▁the ▁original ▁title ▁of ▁Ag ath a ▁Christ ie ' s ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁detect ive ▁novel , ▁named ▁for ▁a ▁children ' s ▁counting - out ▁game ▁familiar ▁in ▁England ▁at ▁that ▁date ; ▁it ▁was ▁renamed ▁first ▁to ▁Ten ▁Little ▁Indians ▁and ▁then ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁to ▁And ▁Then ▁There ▁W ere ▁None . ▁ ▁Fl ann ery ▁O ' Con nor ▁uses ▁a ▁black ▁la wn ▁j ockey ▁as ▁a ▁symbol ▁in ▁her ▁ 1 9 5 5 ▁short