Amiri Baraka (LeRoi Jones) (1934--)

"Poem for Half White College Students"

Who are you, listening to me, who are you
listening to yourself? Are you white or
black, or does that have anything to do
with it? Can you pop your fingers to no
music, except those wild monkies go on
in your head, can you jerk, to no melody,
except finger poppers get it together
when you turn from starchecking to checking
yourself. How do you sound, your words, are they
yours? The ghost you see in the mirror, is it really
you, can you swear you are not an imitation greyboy,
that the sister you have you hand on is not really
so full of Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton is
coming out of her ears. You may even have to be Richard
with a white shirt and face, and four million negroes
think you cute, you may have to be Elizabeth Taylor, old
    lady,
if you want to sit up in your crazy spot dreaming about
    dresses,
and the say of certain porters' hips. Check yourself,
    learn who it is
speaking, when you make some ultrasophisticated point,
    check yourself,
when you find yourself gesturing like Steve McQueen,
    check it out, ask
in your black heart who it is you are, and is that image
    black or white,

you might be surprised right out the window, whistling
    dixie on the way in