Is he black?

The problem with both Conrad and Coetzee I have is that when they say he, they, women, prisoners, or boy, they don't specify whether the person is white or black, and I believe if they did, it would have helped. Coetzee thought Conrad is a racist based on the way Conrad portrayed the Africans as a group. It doesn't take Coetzee to realize that the main character is a kind, sympathetic, and conscious man. And yet, there's not much going on in the first chapter I just read. I remember the three women (I assume they're black) walking by, looking at the party curiously. And there's a boy who seemed to lost his grandfather, killed by interrogator. The main character is very kind to the boy. When he learns that the boy hadn't eaten anything that evening, his heart "grows heavy." Well I guess this might not be enough for Achebe to conclude that this person isn't a racist. I mean, even Marlow in Heart of Darkness gave a biscuit to one of the African who was finding a shelter from the explosioin under the tree? All I can say is, we do not seem to have enough stuff to judge him through Achebe's eyes (or any theorists). But I do know that when the main character says "barbarian", I know he is refering to an African.