How It Feels To Be Colored Me

"I am the only Negro in the United States whose grandfather on the mother's side was not an Indian chief."
"I remember the very day that I became colored."

I liked the way that Hurston uses humor throughout her essay when talking about such sensitive subjects as race, racism, and prejudice. She makes her view of race clear through the way that she jokes and plays around with the idea of being colored and what it means to her. For instance, in the first quote above she pokes fun at the idea that many African American claim to have some Indian in them as well. She says that she is
"the only Negro in the United States whose grandfather on the mother's side was not an Indian chief." By saying this, she both states that she is not ashamed of her heritage and makes fun of those who must make excuses for the color of their skin. In the second quote above, Hurston talks about her not understanding the meaning of being "colored" until she came into a mainly white community. She recalls it as "the very day she became colored", which is humorous because people don't simply turn colored one day. She faces racism with such blunt statements, but makes light of the situation with the humor she uses.