The (Racial) Mountain

"Langston Hughes" by Winold Reiss

In 1926, Langston Hughes wrote an essay entitled "The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain"...in this essay Hughes shares in his introduction:

One of the most promising of young Negro poets said to me once, "I want to be a poet...not a Negro poet," meaning I believe, "I want to write like a white poet"; meaning subconsciously, "I would like to be a white poet"; meaning behind that, "I would like to be white." And I was sorry the young man said that, for no great poet has ever been afraid of himself. And I doubted then that, with his desire to run away spiritually from his race, this boy would ever be a great poet. But this is the mountain standing in the way of any true Negro art in America...this urge within the race toward whiteness, the desire to pour racial individuality into the mold of American standardization, and to be as little Negro and as much American as possible."

I feel Hughes strikes at heart of humanity (and tremendous "parental" advice to all of my students)...the mountain of fear, doubt, hate, self-hate, conformity, lies, etc. must be conquered in order to truly understand who you are historically in this world/ nation, as a people, as an individual, etc. to ultimately stand on top of the mountain - free - and sing...

"Why should I want to be the other?"

"I am me...and I am beautiful!"

"If you like my skin, eyes, or hair...blues, jazz, gospel, or funk...my critical thoughts or my funny jokes...or the poetry and dancing of my life I am glad.  If you dislike the same your displeasure doesn't matter to me either."

"I know I am beautiful...and ugly too."