During the actual ceremony Maya Angelo listened to a couple of speakers, one on whom spoke about the predetermined success of the other, mainly the guys, and who would go on to do what. The girls weren’t even spoken about. These words weighed heavy on her and she felt appalled. Who gave anyone one the right to decide who their heroes should be and where they would or wouldn’t go in life? Its’ very obvious that Maya Angelo’s graduation wasn’t very pleasant to the ears, more of a downer I would say. This was a very different day and time. Now speakers speak about the graduation class in whole. Men and women, white and black are held more equally and there aren’t just “white” heroes given attention to.
The celebration that followed the actual ceremony never took place.