Mr. Z = Hillary Clinton

He dressed and spoke the perfect part of honor;
chose prudent, raceless views of each situation, and became
'One of the most distinguished members of his race.'

However unfortunate for the members of society with the previously superior Y chromosome, women are rapidly entering into jobs once thought of to be "man's work." Before I continue, I will make the statement that I do not condemn men for what they are consciously or unconsciously doing to women entering the work force, I very clearly see that it is a trend and mindset of society that could have just as easily happened the other way around. The trend that I am referring to is the loss of feminine identity that can sometimes occur when women attempt to tread on men's territory. As a nation, we have ingrained in us an image of  the ideal power holder, an image of the person who should be in charge. This image is most often a distinguished man in a suit with a deep voice and excellent speaking abilities. Today, as women, who by definition cannot obtain some of the qualities described, begin climbing the workforce ladders, "glass ceilings" are falling on top of them simply because they don't look or act the part. Fighting the system doesn't work, because the system is run by men and we certainly don't want to come off as a whiny third-grade girl who didn't get to play with the boys because they won't let her wear a dress, so we change ourselves to fit in. This concept is deeply explored in Holman's poem "Mr. Z." The character explained in the poem is clearly changing himself and shedding his true identity to fit in with an equally challenging society. As African Americans entered society newly freed, in order to get ahead they had to cover who they were and mold themselves into the Anglo-Saxon way of thinking and acting. Only then, would they receive the title of the "most distinguished members of his race." The more he became like them, the more he was accepted. I believe history is repeating itself today. Do you notice how the most successful women of today dress? carry themselves? fix their hair? Everything is carefully calculated in order to fit the mold. For example, one of the most successful women in current politics is Hillary Clinton. When she entered the political arena solo, she immediately cut her hair short, now wears mostly dark pantsuits, and applies little makeup. The more like men we become, the more successful we are; similarly, the more Mr. Z became like the white race, the more he was revered and respected.