Comparing the Preamble to the Declaration to Langston Hughes’s “I, Too”, one can infer

that the ideal America is not the reality, but there is hope for a better American future. The

Declaration of Independence states “that all men are created equal…with certain unalienable

rights”, underscoring that America was a place where anyone could do anything they wanted.

The people of the United States were to hold themselves toward that lofty standard, striving for

America to be a place of opportunity and equality. It soon became apparent that the American

Standard did not reflect the American Reality. Americans were supposed to “establish

Justice…[and] promote the general Welfare…”- yet justice is not being established when roughly

13% of the population is Black and over 60% of the Black population is part of the prison system

while promoting general welfare is nearly impossible when America is more polarized than it

has been in decades. There is an imbalance between the power dynamics of American citizens,

based on their race; Black people cannot access the rights “endowed by their creator…among

these… Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness”, as there was bias written into these rights

(Declaration of Independence). Not everyone is welcome everywhere, as Black people are sent

“to eat in the kitchen when company comes”: they are more likely to end up in prison, live below

the poverty line, or be targeted by the police (Hughes 3-4). Regardless, these texts agree that

there is hope for a better future for America, where everyone will have a place “at the table when

company comes”, an equal chance at gaining opportunities regardless of one’s background

(Hughes 9-10). The forefathers and Langston Hughes agreed that there was hope for the ideal

America to become a reality, and the day would come when all the hardship would be worth it.