Let America Be America Again

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Arlington National Cemetery, Washington, D.C. [photo: 123rf.com, Appalachian Views]
“Let America Be America Again” (an excerpt)
Let America be America again.
Let it be the dream it used to be.
Let it be the pioneer on the plain
Seeking a home where he himself is free …
…
O, let America be America again —
The land that never has been yet —
And yet must be — the land where every man is free.
The land that’s mine — the poor man’s, Indian’s, Negro’s, ME —
Who made America,
Whose sweat and blood, whose faith and pain,
Whose hand at the foundry, whose plow in the rain,
Must bring back our mighty dream again …
An excerpt from the courageous voice of Langston Hughes, 1935. To read the poem in its entirety, you’ll find it here on the Poetry Foundation site.