From Cairo to Chicago

I believe that every month is African-American History month. I am currently helping some of my students conduct research for an African-American literature project they are working on as part of their undergraduate coursework (they finished everything but the final thesis paper). I came across this poem at the library today. It was written in 1957. Reading it sent chills down my spine because it could have been written this morning:

Memo to Non-White Peoples
by Langston Hughes


They will let you have dope
Because they are quite willing 
To drug or kill you.


They will let you have babies
Because they are quite willing
To pauperize you -
Or use your kids as labor boys
For army, air force, or uranium mine.


They will let you have alcohol
To make you sodden and drunk
And foolish.


They will gleefully let you
Kill your own damn self any way you chose
With liquor, drugs, or whatever.


It's the same from Cairo to Chicago,
Cape Town to the Caribbean,
Do you travel the Stork Club circuit 
To dear old Shepherd's Hotel?
(Somebody burnt Shepherd's up.)
I'm sorry but it is
The same from Cairo to Chicago,
Cape Town to the Carib Hilton,
Exactly the same.