Instead, they see only blackness. She is embarrassed by the sister on the corner because to many people in America, they are the same. Although the woman knows deep down that race ties people together, she does not consciously admit it until the end of the poem. Forman suggests, then, that blacks unite, instead of rich blacks despising poor blacks. She knows that both women are categorized as blacks by much of the power structure, and they are treated worse because of this.
Race is an important tool for maintaining the status quo in terms of class.
When racial and class issues are presented together, as they are in these two poems, the racial aspects often obscure concerns about class. Racism is used to divide the working class and keep its members from bettering their situation, to the benefit of many in the wealthier sectors of society. Industry leaders still use it today, encouraging workers to blame economic problems caused by the pursuit of stockholder profits on their counterparts in other countries. The Japanese, for instance, were blamed for American auto workers' troubles in the 198Os. Mexicans are similarly used as a scapegoat for the lack of jobs today.