This work is an informative essay from the time of the Harlem Renaissance. It is important to remember that there was still a great deal of oppression during this time; it was a fiery topic. This work by Marion Vera Cuthbert is a passionate cry for equality between her race and the dominant white race.
             The speaker expresses his or her confusion at how their race has been treated up to the time the piece was written. The speaker cannot comprehend why the African American has been forced to prove themselves as humans. The speaker expresses his or her confusion at the way the white man has had to decide if the African American is truly fully human - "One of the oldest of the concepts was that the Negro is an in-between man, not rightly beast or man, but inclining, if anything, more to the bestial side."
             The last point made by the speaker is that most of the population views the African American as a sort of "caricature." Many Americans viewed the African American as "some sort of practical joke," a "dark playboy of the Western World."
             The speaker only hopes that the world can soon come to realize that the African American is no different, only oppressed by the white American.
             I thought the comparison of the African American to a "caricature" was an interesting concept. It was probably a very accurate statement of the time. I feel a lot of bewilderment and confusion coming from the speaker that pertains to the issues of the time.
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