Individuality In Maya Angelou's 2008 Speech By Barack Obama

As people we all have our own skills and downfalls, you can be short or tall, chubby or skinny but we are all still people and we are all equal and have a connection to each other despite our differences. The poem Human Family by Maya Angelou and a 2008 speech by Barack Obama during his run for the presidency both share this common theme of our individuality and its importance, but despite our differences we are all still equal and share common goals.

Both passages put emphasis on individuality to advance their point. In the Poems first half it is restated many times the differences people have. Such as when the author said “I’ve seen the wonders of the world, not yet one common man.” Maya Angelou out this stanza in the poem to emphasize that someone could travel all around the world and see all the sights there are to see and not meet two people who are the exact same. In Obama's 2009 speech he states that he is the “son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas.” and he “ was raised with the help of a white grandfather.” He is telling you this to show that though his grandparents were different than him they helped raise him and were able to work together despite their differences.

Maya Angelou shows this when she says “We are more alike my friends, than we are unalike.” she is very bluntly stating my above point. Obama also includes this theme at the conclusion of his speech when he says “Out of many - we are truly one.” Obama is simply stating his point that we have many differences but share common