In this short poem, the speaker begins by claiming that he, too, "sing[s] America" (1). He goes on to note that he is "the darker brother" (2), referring to his skin color, and then makes reference to the fact that he is sent "to eat in the kitchen / when company comes" (3-4), as if he were a black slave in a white household. The oppression, however, doesn't stop him from laughing and growing strong.
