The African Americans of 1919 are McKay's central audience. Because McKay is black himself, he knows how his race is being treated. At this time black people are being forced to live undesirable lifestyles. McKay's first message to his black audience is to not let the racist white people of 1919 to force them to live in ghettos, and ride in the back of buses (accursed lot). In 1919 blacks struggled to find good jobs, and had to go to different schools from white people. Black people are being discriminated against because of their color and slave background. McKay's second message to

The other audience that McKay addresses in his poem is the racist white people of America in 1919. His first message to whites is that they are acting inhumane. He refers to these white people of 1919 as "mad and hungry dogs". White people were treating blacks as though slavery had never been abolished. They do not give black people any respect and are afraid to accept them as part of their white community. Another message that McKay gives to his white audience is that they are lowering their self-identity by killing black people in vain. McKay calls them "monsters". White people are scared of change. They keep schools segregated and form racial groups like the KKK to regulate the strength of the black community. McKay told his white audience that they are acting like a bunch of cowards (cowardly). White people have degraded themselves by acting like vicious dogs and should consider themselves second class and not treat African Americans as though they are. Another message McKay gives these racist white people is that African Americans will begin to unite and stand up for themselves in groups (kinsmen we). He told white people that black people would fight for equality (show brave). Even though

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 820
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)