Maya Angelou Stereotypes

Given all the stereotypes of an African American woman since she was a child, Maya Angelou told the world that, “I believe all things are possible for a human being and I don’t think there’s anything I can’t do” (“Encyclopedia”). Angelou makes it clear that her race would not hold her back from pursuing her dreams of becoming a successful woman. In Maya Angelou’s autobiographical novel, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, the hardships of growing up as an African American in Stamps, Arkansas are described through her personal experiences. Born Marguerite Annie Johnson on April 4th, 1928, her parents, Vivian Baxter and Bailey Johnson Sr., sent her and her brother, Bailey Johnson Jr., to live with their paternal grandmother, Annie “Momma” Henderson

One of the people that stereotype African Americans was Mr. Edward Donleavy when giving his graduation speech to Angelou’s eighth grade class. Since people of color were considered lower class, “Instead of giving the young people a positive view of the future, Donleavy’s graduation speech stressed to the all black student body that they were not equal to whites” (Agins 17). In that day in age no one believed African Americans were capable of being more than a servant or a slave. Donleavy’s harsh speech made it known that he was one of those people. He wanted to “remind Marguerite and the other graduates of their limited possibilities” (Nero). The few African Americans that would go on to college were given options, “which trained negro youths to be carpenters, farmers, handymen, masons, maids, cooks, and baby nurses” (Angelou 165). All of these jobs being used to provide for their white masters. African Americans were never allowed to choose what occupation they dreamed to pursue, they were stereotyped to only work to benefit their

Mr. Donleavy's discouraging speech to the black students in her class was followed by an influential valedictorian speech that was based off of a black spiritual. This influenced Angelou to use references to African American spirituals in her writings. After hearing the speech in eighth grade, “Angelou developed a deep respect for literacy and song at an early age” (Nero). While writing her literacy Angelou uses the themes of the spirituals in her novels, such as the American Dream and African American struggle. While writing her novels and poetry, “Angelou freed herself from the cage of her own imperfections, insecurities, and doubts of self-loathing to find authentic inner peace” (Nero). In I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings Angelou explains her encounters with racism and prejudice and how she overcame them. Given all the stereotypes she did, “Angelou’s characters survived in a hostile world” (“I Know”). Not only did Angelou survive in the hostile world by ignoring the stereotypical comments, she exceeded expectations for a person of an