Opression in Maya Angelou’s I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings and James McBride’s Color of Water

Oppression is exercising power in an unjust or cruel manner toward a specific group of people. Throughout the history of the United States and Global history, many religious groups, women, and ethnic groups have been targeted. These groups were especially targeted during the early twentieth century. Martin Luther King, an active Civil Rights Leader, wrote about the ways these people worked to end oppression for themselves and groups of people in his book, Strides toward Freedom. He says there are three ways people respond to oppression; they are acceptance of their own doom, non-violent actions and a violent response. Overall, he emphasizes community involvement, working together and dropping racial barriers as the solution to oppression. In Maya Angelou’s I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings and James McBride’s Color of Water, Maya Angelou and Ruth McBride Jordan face similar challenges; Maya Angelou faces segregation and internal oppression and Ruth McBride faces segregation, gender and religious oppression. Through their struggles, these two women strive to make a difference in their lives against oppression; they effectively use family and friends to move past their intrapersonal oppression, as well as strong community, to face societal oppression. Both women also work to break racial barriers and work for equality non-violently.

Through a strong support system Maya develops a strong family and friend relationships that assist her in developing her confidence against her own intrapersonal oppression and oppression from society. Growing up Maya believes that she is in an “ugly black dream”. After Maya’s parents’ divorce, Maya and her brother, Bailey, move to Stamps Arkansas. Angelou describes Stamps, as a very segregated town with...

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... by a lot of sacrifice by Ruth. Ruth makes many innovations in her lifestyle that would not be accepted until modern day. She resists oppression through change a different lifestyle and illustrates equal intelligent children to white children.

Life is filled with pain and suffering. Some choose to take charge of it by building relationships with others while some people will turn to God for help. To handle these oppressions, the two women, Maya Angelou and Ruth McBride, develop close relationships with people as a support system, frequently turn to religion for help . Their works have had them good racial barrier breakers; Martin Luther King would be pleased with the result of their work. To conclude, Maya and Ruth reflect the ideals of Martin Luther King Stride to Freedom because they work to make a difference in their community and did not remain passive.