- The speaker, an African man, is looking to rent a room from a landlady over the phone. When asked about his race, the conversation takes an uncomfortable turn as the landlady asks "how dark" he is and whether he is "light or very dark." The speaker tries to deflect by comparing his skin tone to types of chocolate. Frustrated by her lack of understanding, he humorously describes different parts of his body as different shades to show the complexity of race.