Andre+Watts+and+Andrew+Young

When Angelou mentions Andre Watts and Andrew Young, I knew she was talking about famous people, because it followed the section in which mentioned Mohammed Ali and Arthur Ashe. I know Ali and Ashe were exceptionally dominant in their respective sports, so I assumed these other two men were famous, but I didn't know who they were. When I looked them up, I was surprised to see how significant their lives were. Andrew Young was a politician and even a U.S ammbassador. He was one of the first most famous African American politicians. Then there was Andre Watts, who was a pianist and who really brought classical music into the homes of many families all around the world. Knowing these fact allowed me to see where she was coming from it allowed me to really get a sense of the message you is trying to portray though out they entire poem.

These two famous men are brilliant at what they did, but "aren't they bad" because they are black? This is the question she ponders the enitre poem. One might take this as sarcasm, but I think that Angelou is just challenging people's thinking. She is saying, "Yes", these people are amazing and yes, they are brilliant but then wait a second they're black and are they somehow less good because of that?