I Know Why the Caged Birds Sing
In her autobiography, “I know why the Caged Birds Sing”, Maya Angelou illustrates her life in the American South and then in California. From the memoir, it was evident that racism and segregation was a dominant factor in the 1940s and the 1950s America. The plight of African American Child was first demonstrated when the Maya’s parents abandoned them and they were forced to go stay with the maternal grandmother, Momma. Maya faced various instances of racism and discrimination through her early life. She felt out of place and ugly as compared to other kids. Sometimes she was ridiculed and mocked by the whites. She was not able to complete her poem presentation in the church just because of she was feeling self-ridiculed. From her memoir, we can conclude that: education was the only way for African Americans to survive and fight racism in America. Through education, the African Americans would be more enlightened, their ego will be boosted, the feeling of self-worth and they will be able to compete intellectually with the whites. With equal levels of literacy and self-worth, the African Americans will have a better chance of fighting for their freedom, and cubing racism.
When Maya was sexually molested by her mother’s boyfriend, she refused to tell the truth in the court. As a result, Mr. Freeman was attacked and killed by some black members of Maya’s Family. Maya had to endure both the humiliation of sexually harassment and the guilt of being an accessory to the death of freeman. If she could have told the truth in court, Mr. Freeman could have been arrested and nobody could have killed him. The failure by Maya to confess in the court was due to her ignorance. The ignorance had made her fail to understand the importance of fair justice and confession. The power of education is therefore important in seeking justice mong the oppressed.
Maya Angelou became the first black woman to be a streetcar conductor in San Francisco; this was as a result of self-reliance Maya developed after living in the streets for a month. The self-reliance was as a result of through enlightenment that she got from the streets. This kind of self-reliance can well be developed through education. Education creates an avenue through which the elites realises that there are several ways of surviving and obtaining the daily requirements. Education opens the mind and makes people more creative and innovative. With higher levels of creativity, the elite will always finds a way of depending on themselves. Education was therefore imperative in the fight for equality among the African Americans as it was the only avenue to open their hidden capabilities.
Big Bailey who was able to go to school became financially stable. He was able to use his financial power to intimidate back the whites. He was able to afford flashy clothes and expensive cars. By so doing, he was able to proclaim his worth as an equal human. He even went ahead to run around with white women to assert his worth and masculinity. With his educational background, he was able to make decisions which made him be financially stable. He used his financial stability to retaliate to the whites by showing them that he too was capable of a flashy life.
Through some education, Momma was able to maintain his dignity and keep to herself in order to avert from the pain of oppression and discrimination. She also taught Maya how to read. She told Maya how reading a poem loudly can create a solace to her heart. Maya then started reading poems loudly, and from that, she was able to recover from her post-traumatic stress. With more education and more reading, Maya was able to become one of the most renowned writers and poet in in United States as well as the whole word. With her educational powers, Maya could now spread the word of equality and antiracism all over the world, and people would listen.
When Maya had a tooth-rot, she went to the dentist who refused to work on her insinuating that she was too filthy. The doctor said that he would rather place his hands in a dog’s mouth than in Maya’s mouth. This could indicate how the whites demeaned the African Americans. To him, a dog was better than an African American girl. With education, Maya would have obtained some levels of social status beyond such meagre demeaning. With an improved social status, Maya could have been respected by the doctor, she could have been treated.
Education is therefore one of the most fundamental steps towards achieving equality and fighting racism among the African Americans. With adequate education, the African-Americans, will first acquire the self-esteem and self-worth. They will then be able to improve their social status and the bargaining powers that will enable them fight adequately for their rights and freedom.
Carson, Clayborne, and Kris Shepard. A call to conscience: the landmark speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Grand Central Publishing, 2001.
Angelou, M. (1997). I know why the caged bird sings. Bantam Dell Publishing Group.
