Somebody asked us if we remembered seeing the Statue of Liberty as we pulled into the harbor. Tell you the truth, we didn’t care too much about it. The Statue of Liberty was important to white European immigrants. It was a symbol to them. We knew it wasn’t meant for us.

This quotation, which appears at the beginning of Chapter 15, Part V, “Harlem-Town,” is Sadie and Bessie’s shared thought on pulling into the New York City harbor for the first time, in 1915. The Statue of Liberty is the beacon of hope and possibility for thousands of new Americans from Europe, but the Delany sisters feel she does not represent a welcome to Black Americans. The United States is ashamed of slavery, but there is still a strong belief in the inferiority of Black citizens. Whites do not want to be reminded of their shameful past, and many are uncomfortable living side by side with Black people. European immigrants are white, poor, and eager for whatever the United States has to offer. Black Southerners, however, know the United States well already and are mistrustful of the Statue of Liberty’s welcome. Though racism is more veiled in the North, the Delany sisters are rightfully wary of its symbols of opportunity. Though the sisters love America, they are well aware that America has not always loved them back.