Black Bodies
Wright writes extensively on the theme of black bodies. He begs the question of how one should live with a black body. According to Wright, racism involves the manipulation, control, and exploitation of black bodies which results in the fragility of being black in a racist country. Tracing back to when racism was at its peak, black bodies were commodities meant for profit. Individuals with families and cultural roots were traded off like cattle meant for free labor. Wright argues that white people took a part of their existence and transfigured their black bodies into cotton, tobacco, gold, and sugar. This theme explains how black people have been ill-treated for decades to this day-as disposable bodies within American society.
Captivity, Violence, and Death
As Wright explains in his poems, black people have existed in fear of the haunting legacy of slavery which in the present day involves mass incarceration and police brutality. According to Wright, no black man no matter how successful or professional is ever safe from the constant threat of violence. He also notes that the state has devised ways of imprisoning black people with the false idea of reformation. Black people are constantly brutalized, murdered, and arrested for crimes that no white individual has ever had to pay for.
African-American Family and Heritage
Family is very important to Wright, and not just blood-related. He considers every black person his family. He also emphasizes the importance of passing on culture and wisdom between generations. In his poems, Wright explains how his parents played a critical role in his understanding of the world. He expresses his bond with his symbolic family, history, and culture which inspire his struggle against injustice and racism.
