Caged Bird Sings

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Let Freedom rings while immobilized
Throughout history, barriers have been put up between races. Divisions and inequities between blacks and whites have existed since ancient times. The title “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” are the words expressed from Maya Angelou which is written in a way that she exemplifies the true metaphor of what inequality and prejudice is perceived from her generation. The expression of hardship will all be from viewpoints of: Henry Reed, the Communities and the Minorities living in the United States. The definition of a “caged bird” is a free flying animal that had the right to roam in nature and is now deprived on freedom from its captures. Angelou’s reality on the other hand, a “caged bird” is an African American …show more content…
Angelou’s metaphor actually relates to struggling “caged” minorities who share the same fate, just as the community she lived in with other African Americans. Since the generation of Angelou’s time was in high segregation and racism, minorities such as Mexican Americans and Japanese Americans felt that their ethnicity was not met in American culture. For example, the “cage” that they lived in was slowly decreasing in size. Examples from history such as: Cesar Chavez (Farmer/Civil rights Activist) and Korematsu (Japanese-Internment Camp survivor) faced the suffrages of stereotypes and the fight for equality. Although they are both 20 years apart on the time frame, Cesar Chavez and Korematsu are great examples for singing caged birds who stood up against the regime to allow their voices to be heard. During the time of these hardships, Angelou including Donleavy exclaims that the “Whites” have more rights than the colored folks. Since the time of the situation was in high internal battle, she expresses her pain by focusing in what is wrong with the American Society. This is reasonable for her because of what Donleavy stereotypes from the African American community. She also realized the history of this behavior and the obstacles that she faces when she heard the words. Instead of taking the statements that was said by Donleavy, she and Henry Reed stood up and sang the Negro National Anthem as proof that “Why Caged Birds
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