Critical Race Reading of Langston Hughes's "I, Too"

Meriem LAMANI

Langston Hughes's poem of "I, Too" was published in

1926. James Langston Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri on
February 1, 1902. He starts writing poems in high schools, after
graduation, he wrote poetry and short plays for children, both
were published in National Association for Advancement of
Colored People (NAACP). He published several fiction about
racism, were widely read by African-Americans. However, "I,
Too" mirrors Hughes's dream of one day Inequality and
segregation will end, and Identity will unified. That time, all,
whites and blacks, will sit around one table. Moreover, the
emphasis on the word "Too" is a response to nineteenth-
Century American poet Walt Whitman's "I Hear America
Singing". The latter rejoices a country that offers him all he
wants, Hughes poem makes clear that America does not offer
the same opportunity and experience for all citizens. However,
Hughes's poem is simple, straightforward structure, and the
plain use of dictions implies the strength and the determination
of the poet. Hughes wrote the poem where being in Genoa,
where he lost all his identification papers. Nevertheless, Hughes
tries to catch a ride to back to America, he was rejected ,
watching white men easily get the ride. He wrote the poem in
attempt to get some money. Nevertheless, the poem's themes of
Identity, Segregation, and Inequality manifest the world that
Hughes saw around him; a world where white sailors refuse to
sere black brother which leaves him without identity or money.
 Hughes's poem explores the duality of identity in life of
"Darker brother" (2) in America. The First stanza, consists of
only one line, "I, Too, sing America"(1), it plainly suggests that
even "darker brother" (2) celebrates American identity and
enjoy the opportunity given by America to all its citizens.
However, the emphasis on the word "Too" implies to poet's
reply to another literary work; actually, the poem is a reaction to
Walt Whitman's " I Hear America Singing", which portrays all
the professions even Carpenter and Mason celebration of
American Identity, Hughes responds that even "darker brother"
celebrates America Identity. Hughes, thus, initiates the poem
with singular personal pronoun "I" emphasis of being a subject
in the poem that, too, enjoys America Identity, celebrates
America's greatness, and own the right for dinging America's
opportunities to its citizens which makes him ",Too, […]
America" (18); where he joins his white brothers to celebrate
American Identity. Moreover, Hughes with the final line "I,
Too, Am America" declares that he is, too, present American
Identity and all Americans. In Addition, the poet's use of terms
"black brother", "kitchen", "table", "too" suggests to the duality
if identities in American a hyphen identity, which takes their
rights in public facilities, restaurants, theatres… so forth.

Hughes's poem arguably explores the segregation policy

of America with black people. The second stanza, poet identity
himself as the darker brother who is segregated from his white
brothers. The word " brother" is symbol for all men are brothers
in nature, that all Americans are united, are one segment, one
unity which seek for achieving the American dream. The poet,
however, suggests that not all Americans are given the same
opportunity, experiences, rights, and respect. Those with darker
color are casted aside from these chances, "in the kitchen"(3),
"at the table" (9). " they send me to eat in the kitchen" (3), the
poet said referring to the Jim Crow laws which segregate
citizens of U.S. into segments, white and dark. Nevertheless,
kitchen is symbolically present segregation and lack of
opportunity. All these segregations are manifested in Kitchen.
He, hence, envisions a world clear of segregation, hoping for all
people ,despite the color, sitting around one table. African-
Americans are casted aside to eat in the kitchen; both kitchen
and Table are synecdoche words which implies to segregation in
many places: schools, restaurants, public transportation, public
restrooms; beside living in separated neighborhoods, offering
low-payment jobs. Miscegenation laws made it illegal for a
black person to interaction in any way with white world.
Therefore, Hughes, by saying "eat in the Kitchen" (3), refers to
situation of black colored people in America. The poet describes
the determination of darker brother, not defeated by segregation
law, but they take the advantage of been casted aside to grow
stronger to change the situation in America. The poet, in second
stanza, is hopeful and optimistic of segregation in America, and
determine to change the status quo. He envisions a world,
"Tomorrow/ I'll be at the table" (8-9), where all enjoy the same
rights, the same opportunity, the same experience. He therefore,
clarifies in the last line of poem that all black brothers will enjoy
America. Through the poem, Hughes includes a word full with
hope, and optimism, "Tomorrow" (8). That is, a promise on day
black people will share the same abundance that all Americans
do.

Hughes emphasizes and hopes for Equality between all

Americans. In Stanza four, the narrator reminds the readers of
other reason for giving the darker brothers the equality they
deserve. Hughes does not refer to kind of physical beauty, but to
beauty of soul and beauty of existence that humans embarrass;
there is beauty in life, and in experience of existence. The word
"besides" (15) is additional conjunction refers to the other side
of blackness beauty that white brothers have dismissed;
clarifying the wrong assumptions, the inaccurate perspectives
and judgments of black people. " and be ashamed" (17) the poet
declares that soon the white brother will be ashamed for their
inequality, segregation, preconception, and mistaken judgment
on black people. He, thus, emphasizes and determines earlier,
"No body'll dare/ Say to me/ 'Eat in the kitchen'" (11-13), that
by-and-by they will realize their huge mistakes. Therefore,
Hughes hopes for black people share equality with white people
in future. "Tomorrow" (8), all will sit around the same "table/
When company comes" (9-10). No black brother will willing to
leave the table for the white fellows. Moreover, the poet creates
a fact; when equality become right for all American citizens, the
black brother, too, sing America and become America and
shares his blackness beauty.

Although the poem was written for financial purposes, the

poet's diction is structured out of his heart; portraying life of
African- Americans, and hoping to change this life. The poet
opens the poem with celebration of American Identity as black
person's rights, the right that dismissed. Hughes moves to
introduce himself as a "black brother" (2) to the readers; the
identification is a reference to identify issue in America with
Hyphen identities, to the inequality which segregates white
world from black world. The inequality which sends a darker
brother to eat in the kitchen leaving the table for white people.
But, the poet is not concerned with the segregation, he is
confident enough to laugh, to keep feeding his soul to grow
more stronger in order to make the change the Status Quo of
African- Americans segregation and inequqlity. He is hoping
"Tomorrow" (8) racism in America will be altered, recreated,
renewed. " No body'll dare/ Say to me,/ 'Eat in the kitchen'" (11-
13), no white person will be as strong as he will be to order him
to leave the power, the freedom, the sovereignty, and the table.
Moreover, the white world will identify its mistaken view of
darker brother, they will discover the beauty in darker brother,
not the beauty of physical features, but beauty of existence and
soul that exists in all humans. Then, they will " be ashamed"
(17). But, more, he will sing America, and become America.
The poet argues as strong as he desplays the world which
America has created for her hiphened citizens, referring to the
created laws and the unfair treatement of the black people.

References:
Contantakis, Sara. Poetry for Students, V.30. U.S: GALE
CENGAGE Learning, 2099. Print