Created in 1997, Michael Ray Charles's *Scratch Yo Dirt Know Yo Worth* employs acrylic latex, stain, and an embedded copper penny on paper to interrogate racial stereotypes and the commodification of Black identity in American culture. The work's weathered, aged aesthetic — reminiscent of vintage advertisement and minstrel imagery — is underscored by the symbolic inclusion of the penny, evoking themes of diminished worth and economic marginalization. Charles uses the visual language of historical propaganda and popular culture to confront the viewer with a provocative meditation on value, dignity, and the legacy of racism.