Maya Angelou is saying traveling is neccasary to understand ones culture. Many people dont really see how much alike we are, instead we choose to see the differences. Maya Angelou thinks that traveling the world will allow you to hear different languages, and understand different cultures. Doing this, she believes, will allow you to understand how closely related we are, and hopefully create a bond of…
Being a different nationality than those of a more prevalent country can easily dictate whether one feels misplaced, different, or mistreated. In Maya Angelou's “Champion of the World”, she recounts a scene of a boxing match between Joe Louis and Carnera in which the outcome of the match was very important because it would determine whether the blacks would be subjugated to the whites or not. Similarly, in Amy Tan's “Fish Cheeks”, she remembers a story of when she was fourteen during Christmas when her crush and his father were invited to their house, she felt embarrassed at her family, the food, and Chinese traditions. Both stories mention nationalities which feel inferior to the white race. Despite having common ground, the two stories have different perspectives and points of view. Additionally, they use different literary devices, making one story more effective than the other.…
Maya Angelou has become widely known for her poetry and literary works. She has written several autobiographies and numerous volumes of poetry. One volume of poetry was And Still I Rise, in this collection of poems the poem “Still I Rise” is a famously known one.…
The Negro woman can no longer postpone or subordinate the fight against discrimination because of sex to the civil rights struggle but must carry on both fights simultaneously.” Nevertheless, a message of equal opportunity…
The depth of the impact that prejudice embarked on his life is the main focal point W.E.B. DuBois establishes in Chapter 1, paragraph 2 of his book The Souls of Black Folk. DuBois magnificently orchestrates an allure for the reader as he opens the paragraph with his earliest memory as a young lad. He reveals a story of how the attitude of one girl planted roots of discrimination deep down in his soul. As DuBois’s boyhood grew into adolescent youth, the feelings of social rejection were nourished with a longing for equal treatment among the white community. Every event blossomed into an opportunity of challenge as he persevered to surpass his white opponents. He relished in self-gratification with every successful achievement. As a mature…
A fight between Louis and a white rival was a major event for the black community. “The last inch of space was filled, yet people continued to wedge themselves along the walls of the Store.” (Angelou 110) The enthusiasm of the people who wanted to listen to the fight was so great. Angelou focuses on the vulnerability of African Americans during the segregation era. “My race groaned. It was our people falling…one more woman ambushed and raped.” this shows how upset and ashamed Angelou is about the mistreatment of her race. At the end of the match they all were happy because the boxer that won was African American “…Joe’s gonna whip that cracker like its open season.” (Angelou 111) This shows the emotion the patrons at the store felt while listening to one of their kind fight a person who was ‘‘white.’’ Angelou also speaks about the mistreatments her race went through on a daily basis. Angelou, just wants everyone to be treated the same. “It wouldn’t do for a Black man and his family to be caught on a lonely country road on a night when Joe Louis had proved that we were the strongest people in the world.” (Angelou 112) The quote shows the fear and anguish Angelou and the black community experience during this time of segregation in the…
This essay I read called Graduation told a story about a young Middle School African American girl named Maya Angelou, who was graduating and was moving on to High School back in 1940. She was from a small town in Arkansas and was extremely excited to be graduating. She had high hopes for the future and right before the graduation ceremony, she felt like she was the birthday girl, the center of attention. She had done well for herself throughout the school year with very good academic grades and no tardiness and no absence. Her mom was proud and couldn't wait to see her daughter graduate, her mom even made her a nice dress. They had a guest speaker at the graduation ceremony his name was Mr. Donleavy. His introduction speech to the graduates had put the black race down while he praised the white kids and said they were going to be doing much better. that speech by Mr. Donleavy had really upset her. It made her feel really low about being black. Right after the speech one of her classmates went up to speak, his name was Henry Reed. He was the valedictorian. He read a poem that gave her hope and brought her back up in good spirits. She once again felt good about the color of her skin. The graduating class was happy and was encouraged by Henry Reed's speech, they felt like the black race was on top again.…
In this essay written by African American Shelby Steele, he tells of the hard times of his people. He leads the reader through his experiences in the civil rights movement and compares the life of an African American in the 1960’s and one in the present day. He writes that African Americans today would have to use ever ounce of their intelligence and imagination to find reasons for them not to succeed in today’s society. He goes on to say that African Americans use the harm done for them in the past and try to use it as guilt for the white Americans. It goes on to explain the importance in fighting for a cause in a group and not breaking off as individuals.…
The “melting pot” of America consists of over one hundred different cultures and ethnic groups. With all of these diverse factions of society, there are many different individuals that view racial and cultural identity differently. American writers, entirely, depict their outlook on racial pride. While Langston Hughes and Charles W. Chesnutt seek to depict the value in pride of black culture in their works, Amy Tan seeks to show her cultural struggles she faces through her mother and everyday life.…
This piece set the stage for her first book, and the rest of her career. She argued that black women are uniquely positioned, due to their race and gender, to understand the importance of self-definition within the context of a social system that defines oneself in oppressive ways, and that they are also uniquely positioned, because of their experiences within the social system, to engage in social justice…
Maya Angelou is an American poet that has gained national and international recognition for her unique writing styles. On the Pulse of Morning is a masterpiece created 1993 20th of January. In the year of 2008 an unprecedented victory was gained for all African-Americans. Maya Angelou read before millions of viewers on a historic inauguration proceedings for President Barack Obama.The election of America’s first Black Commander and Chief has defied all odds, given America's history of brutal treatment to the Black race. Although the poem had already been written, it held an even greater significance for all of America. The poem illustrates a historical triumph, perspective, and resilience for all of Black America watching the momentous occasion.…
Maya Angelou shows her point in “Champion of the World” by showing that nobody is inferior to anybody else. She reinforces her point throughout the entire story by having race to race comparisons. The story is directed to all those who think that they are superior to those who have a different skin color or race. She reiterates racism throughout the short story by pinning race on race. The story and message told by the story are effective because she used different techniques for the audience to go on. She told about all of the African-American people in the store listening closely to the radio and made it into a really big deal. By making it into a big deal we can understand that the African-Americans were counting on a win by, one of their kind, Joe Louis. In paragraph sixteen, Maya Angelou gives examples about what would to come if Joe Louis were to lose. “It was another lynching”, “a black boy whipped and maimed.” She uses these examples because that is how it used to be and how she thought it would be if Joe were to lose. The examples she uses are strong and bold and show us that the black people couldn’t afford to lose in another aspect of life. She needed to prove a point and she did just that. She wanted the ones to think that they were superior to open their eyes and see that they are no different from anyone else that walks this earth. Regardless of skin color, race, or nationality, there should not be discrimination and this story demonstrates…
In “How It Feels to Be Colored Me,” Zora Neale Hurston reveals that despite the existence of racism and discrimination, she does not “belong to no race nor time” (Hurston 3) because she has pride in being herself, regardless of her color.…
Writing is a beautiful way of expressing how a person feels and thinks about everyday life. It is a way to express with emotion and feeling the trails, tribulations, likes, dislikes, and worries of oneself and the problems seen in the world and be able to be heard. Even a subject such as racism can be expressed in poetry and even in its ugliest form can be turned into a beautiful piece of art. Two literary pieces that I have encountered that left an emotional mark on me were “The Welcome Table” by Alice Walker and “What it is like to be a black girl” by Patricia Smith. In these two literary pieces the depiction of how racism plays a huge role in black women lives are displayed to the world to rise an understanding and awareness of the struggle that women of color have faced throughout the years and emotionally still struggle with today. In these literary pieces both authors express feelings on the subject of racism in a graceful and expressionate manner. Although the characters, settings, form, literary style, and symbols used in each piece of writing is different the message received from both are very much the same… Racism plays a crucial role in a black woman’s life still after segregation.…
The fight was between African-American Joe Louis v. Primo Carnera. The match was being broadcast by a radio her uncle had at the store. It brought African-American together as a community. They gather around the radio to listen to boxing matches. Men, women, and children come to listen and to buy soft drinks; in case of a particularly bloody fight.…