Browse Items (55 total)

The narrator of this poem claims that, if he were black, he wouldn't mind being turned away from a white cemetery. The poem finishes by arguing that "it's white of them to give what tantamounts to [an integrated world], and makes us all, for what…

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…

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…

The narrator of this poem expresses his identity as part of a "colossal being" of black people, preferring the collective 'we' to the singular 'I.' He explores slavery as "the torture that was endured for years and still / Silently exists today"…

In this play by the Messenger’s then-editor-in-chief, Louise Dinwiddie, two Englishmen are traveling in “the Orient” in a search for collectables. One, Jade, sees China as a beautiful and mysterious location, while the other, Michael, complains about…

This untitled black and white photograph featured in the Fall 1994 issue of the Messenger depicts three unnamed black boys. No location is given. This piece was paired with the short story "The Tobacco Road," which is about a white woman being…

This picture of an African-American cook was paired with a Messenger piece titled "Slater Report" on the Slater dining facility and its staff. The picture fails to have a caption, and therefore the cook remains nameless.

The Winter 1970 edition of the Messenger featured several photos that depicted black individuals or enterprises. The front and back covers of the magazine are photos of a shop known as Nathan's Market. Nathan's was a mini-mart on West Leigh Street in…

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…