Browse Items (55 total)

The 1967 edition of the Messenger's theme was "controversy." Its final piece, "The 20th Century vs. The U of R," argues that the University should have less of an influence on students' morality and not act as their "guardian." The piece's author,…

This 1877 essay from Monthly Musings, the predecessor to the Messenger literary magazine, argues against the Theory of Evolution. It begins with the assertion that the belief that men were once "savages" is currently fashionable. The writer looks to…

This short story follows an unnamed American narrator and his peers traveling to Africa for writing inspiration. It points out and pokes fun at the tendency of European and American authors to use contrasting epithets to describe the continent, such…

This comedic map of the University of Richmond campus features racist jokes. One can be seen in the captions around the gym, called "Jim," which refer to black athletic trainer Esau Brooks as "the Indian rubber man." Running to the gym is an "Indian…

This anti-integration quote from student Olen Lewis claims that, while accepting black and white Americans as "brothers" that "love each other," they should desire to be separate in some instances. This was published four years before the Messenger…

The writer of this piece questions her black identity in the form of asking if she is allowed to say the "n word." While she feels unable to because of her middle/upper class upbringing, she relays anecdotes such as her sister straightening her hair…

The author of this piece reflects on being "more American" than she thought when seeing black men in the news, likely after the killing of an unarmed black man, while she's out of the country. She states that, even though America is her home, it…

This short story takes place in Guatemala and explains the folktale of esperanza, or hope. A boy named Miguelito first discovers an esperanza bug, then accidentally kills it while fighting his older brother. However, nobody seems to care as much as…

The author of this poem claims that she is "an Asian who wants to be white" and begins the poem with the choice, "I want to be more American." When asked what's stopping her, though, she responds, "That's not who I am." The root of her desire to be…

This poem, narrated by "the slave's dream and hope," attacks the idea of "good hair" as a superior, more acceptable alternative to natural black hair. It asserts that good hair should have been left on the plantations, and compares it to the song…