Read the excerpt from "the negro artist and the racial mountain." but, to my mind, it is the duty of the younger negro artist, if he accepts any duties at all from outsiders, to change through the force of his art that old whispering “i want to be white,” hidden in the aspirations of his people, to “why should i want to be white? i am a negro—and beautiful! ” in this excerpt, hughes is expressing the idea that younger artists have a responsibility to show pride in their racial heritage. more experienced artists are not as truthful as younger artists. the creations of older artists do not advance the cause of equality.