In "The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain," Hughes talks about the importance of identity and race in art. He argues that a true artist cannot be one in a way that is separate from his own identity. This is particularly true in the United States, where your racial background determines every aspect of who you are, what opportunities you have access to, and how people treat you.
This is illustrated in "Arrangement in Black and White." In this story, we see an African American artist who is admired by a white woman. The woman considers herself to be liberal and accepting of others. However, she is unable to look past her own racism and bias, despite her claim of being modern and understanding. This supports Hughes idea of the artist being unable to be an artist independently from his racial identity.
