Maya Angelou Equality Essay

Equality (n.)- a state of being equal, especially in rights and opportunities. There it is, the definition in black and white, clear as day. It should be this simple; however, people everywhere are yet to see this equality. People are deemed as targets in a country where "equality" is thrown into their faces as an excuse for wretched behavior. As a nation, we do not even understand the meaning of a word with a blatant definition. Hatred and bigotry are clouding rational humanity.
Maya Angelou explores this worldwide dilemma in her poem, “Equality.” With metaphors of shadows and drums, Angelou displays the everyday frustrations of the oppressed in a society that draws a blind eye. She paints the worlds of both sides, creates a clashing scenario,
Every day, the community continues to succeed. From historical figures to academic excellence, African- Americans proceed to break barriers. However, the immobile views shadow the greatness that is occurring. Close-minded individuals consistently transform movements meant to heal into controversial subjects, therefore halting change. Roadblocks caused by conflicts of interest are a recurring event, which is why moving towards true equality has been a long and grueling process. The world keeps spinning, and black excellence still goes unnoticed. Consequently, the negative notion being depicted when describing African- Americans remains. These prejudices continue to run rampant, especially within the impressionable youth. In the world they are given, where empathy is near nonexistent, their generation is inevitably built from a basis of hate. Young African- Americans everywhere are subject to race ridicule. I am no
Black is beautiful. Black is powerful. African- Americans deserve to feel a sense of pride when speaking of their culture. Black deserves to be celebrated. Nevertheless, this problem is still among us. We’re not people to “you”, the rigid society contented with conventional intolerance. We are just a distant neighborhood of shadows others are too afraid to explore. If we were considered civilized human beings, this controversy wouldn’t exist. There would be no biases, no demeaning insults, no racism. Nothing. What is not applied is that we, the minority, are not the problem. Rather, we are the ones trying to mend race relations. Time keeps passing, but society’s views remain the same. Black is evil. Black is corrupted. Black is poison. White is right. Race shouldn't determine the way people are viewed. Yes, it is a matter of race. Yes, it still matters, even now. Equality isn't here yet in 2017; therefore, I am stuck in these chains. We all are, until everyone sees what is truly happening. Until everyone can understand. Like Maya Angelou constantly reiterates, “Equality, and I will be