Maya Angelou And Her Feministic Views

Maya Angelou was a singer, poet, activist, the first female streetcar driver in San Francisco, and the first black female director in Hollywood. She worked with Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm x, she also worked on 2 presidential committees, and won many awards before her passing in 2014. Maya Angelou was a feminist, her strong beliefs in equality and continuous efforts to expose the truth of what woman were experiencing made her a figure many looked up to. Angelou acknowledges and states that women’s voices are being silenced and attempts to educate society on gender inequality in America, which lead woman to feel empowered. Educating woman about their self-worth, and how it went beyond their physical appearances. Angelou participated in a plethora of social justice initiatives that are rooted at combating the oppression faced by marginalized communities.   

Maya Angelou demonstrated her feministic views by acknowledging and stating that women’s voices are being silenced and made efforts at attempting to educate society on gender inequality in America. In her poem “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”, Angelou uses the imagery of a caged bird to describe the oppression women have faced. In the poem, she says “But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams/ his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream/ his wings are clipped, and his feet are tied/ so, he opens his throat to sing”. Although this poem can describe the constraints society has put on African Americans it can also describe the constraints society has put on women. The cage refers to the crippling grip society has on women, A flying bird represents freedom just like any human should be free to express who they are, but society has clipped the wings of certain individuals making it nearly impossible to express their true selves. Although the caged bird initially represents Maya Angelou who is a disadvantaged member of society for her gender and colour, she acted as a role model to women around the world as she refused to remain caged and became the free bird who eventually was the first female streetcar driver in San Francisco and the first black female director in Hollywood. This poem sheds light on what many people might want to ignore, the imagery made the uncomfortable and difficult subject more accessible, she uses a bird and a cage to metaphorically to show what is happening in society, so for some people who are unable to relate they can understand what marginalized communities like females are going through, teaching society about the struggle that she once experienced and the struggle many still experience today.  

Another way Maya Angelou empowered woman was by recognizing that they had more substance than simply their physical appearance. In Angelou’s time and even today Masculine views are pervasive in society and it is thought that men do not care about personality. In her poem “PHENOMENAL WOMAN” she explains how men view woman in America in the 1970s. “Men themselves have wondered/What they see in me./They try so much/But they can't touch/My inner mystery./When I try to show them,/They say they still can't see./I say/It's in the arch of my back,/The sun of my smile,/The ride of my breasts,/The grace of my style./I'm a woman/Phenomenally./Phenomenal woman,/That's me.” In this quote from Maya Angelou poem she explains why she is attractive, something men don’t understand, they don’t comprehend her beauty. Both men and women in society are accustomed to basing a women’s value by how beautiful she is. In this quote, she tries to explain to the men she is attractive for what is on the inside. She continues by saying that what makes her beautiful is the inner beauty that is interwoven with her actual beauty, there is no need to look at only her physical beauty. During her time this thought was seen as absurd. In the movies and most of the successful women shown in magazines were physically attractive to the general public. By making this poem she opened the eyes of many to see that a woman’s beauty is more than looks, but it should be based on her personality, humour, knowledge and more. Rather than objectifying them. She empowered women by showing them that they are more than just looks. 

A feminist believes in equality for all genders, Angelou did not shy away from this belief. Maya Angelou has gone above and beyond, she educated the population on cultural awareness and advocacy, one of many of her social justice initiatives that are rooted to combating the oppression faced by marginalized communities. She once said “I am a feminist. I’ve been female for a long time now. I’d be stupid not to be on my own side”, her efforts to fight for change were recognized by many, winning her numerous awards, and followers. One of the more prestigious awards she won was the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2010. The quote above is more than enough proof that she is a feminist, she said it herself. All her contributions demonstrate her commitment to equality. She was not afraid to stand up to the well-established patriarchal views of America, she was more afraid of the lack of equally in our modern world. It is hard to separate her views from racial equality and gender equality because they were often related, but it is clear to see that she fights for both. Her belief that all genders should be treated equally has inspired many others to stand up along with her and follow in her footsteps.

In conclusion Maya Angelou's ability to expose the truth of what women were experiencing helped and inspired many. Angelou’s strong beliefs in equality makes her a feminist. Her acknowledgement of women’s voices being silenced, and numerous attempts to educate society on gender inequality in America, empowered woman. Helping woman and others understand that they had more substance than simply their physical appearance. Maya Angelou was the first female streetcar driver in San Francisco and the first black female director in Hollywood but this does not make her a feminist. Her belief in equality made her a feminist. 

Citations

• Angelou, Maya. Phenomenal Woman: Four Poems Celebrating Women. Random House, 1995.
• Hudson, David. “Remembering and Celebrating the Life of Dr. Maya Angelou.” National Archives and Records Administration, National Archives and Records Administration, 28 May 2014, https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2014/05/28/remembering-and-celebrating-life-dr-maya-angelou.
• “Maya Angelou.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 28 Aug. 2019, https://www.biography.com/writer/maya-angelou.
• Mayet, Yusairah. “‘I Am a Feminist...' – Maya Angelou.” Yusairah Mayet, WordPress, 9 Oct. 2016, https://yusairahmayet.wordpress.com/2016/09/27/i-am-a-feminist-maya-angelou/.
• Parker, Stephen. “Maya Angelou.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/maya-angelou.