Maya Angelou Impact On Society

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The legacy of a great writer isn't just the volume of work they leave behind, but how that work inspires others. Maya Angelou was an American poet during the time of the turn of the century. During this time period, Angelou grew up experiencing oppression not only as a women but as an African American as well. The racism, sexism and discrimination did not defer her from pursuing a career in writing. Almost 70 years later and Maya Angelou's work is still a vibrant reminder that allowing societal injustices are only as real as you allow them to be. Although many people are familiar with Maya Angelou's most popular works such as “Phenomenal Women” , “Still I Rise” and “ Women Work” , focusing on the empowering of women and the independence from men, many of her other works has to illustrate with social equalities. Angelou's works have dug themselves into people's hearts and souls across the …show more content…

The ugly blue and black truth about slavery has been buried in history and isn't spoken about , because of its ugly history and the impact it had on the lives of millions of slaves. Maya Angelou shines light on the sensitive history of slavery in her poems “Song for the Old Ones” and “Yet These United States” where she addresses the issues and surrounding equality in the United States. In her poem ‘Yet these United States , she includes the rhetorical question “....Why are you unhappy ? / Why do your children cry ?” to mock the suffering of freed whites compared to slaves who have had their human rights taken away from them. Also in ‘’Song for the Old Ones’’ Angelou she describes the sacrifices that our ancestors made for this country.”.... They've laughed to shield their crying / then shuffled through their dreams/ and stepped 'n' fetched a country/ to write the blues with screams./I understand their meaning/ it could and did derive /from living on the edge of death / They kept my race

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