head girl
The instructor said,
Go home and write a page tonight. And let that page come out of you— Then, it will be true.
I wonder if it's that simple?
I am twenty-two, colored, born in Winston-Salem.
I went to school there, then Durham, then here to this college on the hill above Harlem.
I am the only colored student in my class.
The steps from the hill lead down into Harlem, through a park, then I cross St. Nicholas,
Eighth Avenue, Seventh, and I come to the Y, the Harlem Branch Y, where I take the elevator up to my room, sit down, and write this page:
It's not easy to know what is true for you or me at twenty-two, my age. But I guess I'm what
I feel and see and hear, Harlem, I hear you: hear you, hear me—we two—you, me, talk on this page.
(I hear New York, too.) Me—who?
Well, I like to eat, sleep, drink, and be in love.
I like to work, read, learn, and understand life.
I like a pipe for a Christmas present, or records—Bessie, bop, or Bach.
I guess being colored doesn't make me not like the same things other folks like who are other races.
So will my page be colored that I write?
Being me, it will not be white.
But it will be a part of you, instructor.
You are white— yet a part of me, as I am a part of you.
That's American.
Sometimes perhaps you don't want to be a part of me.
Nor do I often want to be a part of you.
But we are, that's true!
As I learn from you,
Chapter Summaries
Section 1
Section 2
Section 3
Section 4, Lines 21-27
Section 4, Lines 28-41
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Table of Contents
Section 1 Summary
AP English Language
AP English Literature
SAT Test Prep
ACT Exam Prep group rates for schools and districts ADVERTISEMENT
Theme for English B Summary
We start out with a writing assignment given by someone we can presume is our black speaker's white English professor. The assignment is to just write a page, from the self. The assignment also says that this will make the page
Go home and write a page tonight. And let that page come out of you— Then, it will be true.
I wonder if it's that simple?
I am twenty-two, colored, born in Winston-Salem.
I went to school there, then Durham, then here to this college on the hill above Harlem.
I am the only colored student in my class.
The steps from the hill lead down into Harlem, through a park, then I cross St. Nicholas,
Eighth Avenue, Seventh, and I come to the Y, the Harlem Branch Y, where I take the elevator up to my room, sit down, and write this page:
It's not easy to know what is true for you or me at twenty-two, my age. But I guess I'm what
I feel and see and hear, Harlem, I hear you: hear you, hear me—we two—you, me, talk on this page.
(I hear New York, too.) Me—who?
Well, I like to eat, sleep, drink, and be in love.
I like to work, read, learn, and understand life.
I like a pipe for a Christmas present, or records—Bessie, bop, or Bach.
I guess being colored doesn't make me not like the same things other folks like who are other races.
So will my page be colored that I write?
Being me, it will not be white.
But it will be a part of you, instructor.
You are white— yet a part of me, as I am a part of you.
That's American.
Sometimes perhaps you don't want to be a part of me.
Nor do I often want to be a part of you.
But we are, that's true!
As I learn from you,
Chapter Summaries
Section 1
Section 2
Section 3
Section 4, Lines 21-27
Section 4, Lines 28-41
ADVERTISEMENT
Table of Contents
Section 1 Summary
AP English Language
AP English Literature
SAT Test Prep
ACT Exam Prep group rates for schools and districts ADVERTISEMENT
Theme for English B Summary
We start out with a writing assignment given by someone we can presume is our black speaker's white English professor. The assignment is to just write a page, from the self. The assignment also says that this will make the page