Gabreil Prosser, Maya Angelou Essay

Maya Angelou has set a name for herself beside all the great poets, playwrights, authors, actresses, directors, historians, educators, civil rights activists, producers, and lecturers. During her lifetime she accomplished much recognition. In January of 1993, she became the second poet in U.S. history to have the honor of writing and reciting an original work at the Presidential Inauguration. She wrote eleven bestselling books, received a Pulitzer Prize Nomination for her book “Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water ‘Fore I Diiie,” and was internationally acclaimed for her beautiful, motivational poems such as “And Still I Rise” and “Phenomenal Woman”. She received an Emmy nomination for her best supporting actress for her role in the made for TV movie” Roots”. These are just a few of the awards that she has received.
In the Fields of Reading: Motives for Writing written by Nancy R. Comley et. al, a selection from Maya Angelou “I Know Why the Cages Bird Sings,” “Graduation” in Stamps, demonstrates how racism and prejudice can manifest anger, hatred and undermine motivation to person whom it is directed. The primary theme in the passage, however, shows through perseverance, hard work and optimism an individuals can overcome the obstacles of racism and prejudice, discovering new sources of strength within.
In Graduation from Stamps, Angelou spends the first half of the story of her graduation from eighth grade describing the excitement, anticipation and general euphoria gripping the black community and school children who had come down with graduation epidemic. She was in the top of her graduation class in the community of Stamps. At the ceremony, Mr. Edward Donleavy spoke. But his words were not enough for Angelou; she felt that what he was saying putdown the African American community. He told how great the white children were doing and how great they would become. Then he went on to tell how the blacks would not be nothing of great success, he stated that, the...