Katherine M. Johnson, "The Educated Boot-Black" (1916)
by Katherine M. Johnson
Shine, mister, shine!
Five cents, a nickel,
Just half a dime,
White shoes, or black,
Russet or tan;
If you want them cleaned good,
I am your man.
You say you’re surprised
At me shining shoes?
Sit down, Mr. Waite, and
Look at the News.
In just a few minutes
Then I’ll be through
And explain my present
Position to you.
I graduated last June
With your son.
By many kind deeds
His friendship I won.
I solved many problems
At school for your son.
To him they were difficult,
To me they were fun.
I thought, when we both
Grew to be men, he would
Help me solve the problems
I had just read of then.
When my diploma was
Presented to me,
I tested his friendship,
His manhood, you’ll see.
He told me he was going
In business with you;
I asked for a position in
Your store, too.
I said I’d be glad to
Start as a clerk;
From the bottom of the ladder,
To become a bookkeeper for
You some day:
For this position, I knew
Was good pay.
Soon in his face, I read his surprise,
Then off came the mask,
His friendship disguised.
It’s absolutely impossible
To hire you as clerk;
But I will consider the
Janitor work.
This was the offer to me
By your son;
The test of the friendship
I thought I had won.
My first application
By your son, being denied,
You cannot imagine
How it wounded my pride.
Being ambitious, I started anew,
To find one white man
Whose friendship was true.
I put my application in
Every store in this town.
A flimsy excuse,
Is all that I found.
That’s why you find me
Here shining shoes.
Is there an ad. for
A Colored man
Tonight in your News?
Published in The Half-Century Magazine, October 1916