Americans
Throughout the poem, the speaker uses the “we” pronoun to implicate the reader or listener as the subject. Since the audience is likely comprised of Americans, the "we" forces the listener to reflect on their place in the nation, and creates a feeling of unity and kinship with all other Americans. The poem also notes that "we" come from many corners of America, but despite that difference, "we" will "rise" and "rebuild" together. This idea of collective action is important as the speaker hopes to rally the people to her message.
The Poet
The poet refers to herself obliquely within the “successors of a country” and as a "skinny Black girl descended from slaves and raised by a single mother." The audience understands from this reference that the poet has overcome obstacles to get to this stage, and that her own personal history is linked with the racial divisions in America. For most of the poem, the poet is simply the messenger for the voice of the many, and her own identity within the context of the nation is less important than unity among Americans.
