Oppression of African-American Women in Maya Angelou’s “Our Grandmothers

Abstract

This paper examines Maya Angelou's poem "Our Grandmothers" to expose the oppression of African-American women through the lens of intersectional feminism. It scrutinizes their complex experience by revealing the interconnectivity of class, race and gender in Angelou’s poem. The study reveals the complex aspects of the oppression that African-American women have undergone. The chosen theoretical framework for this study is intersectional feminism, which recognizes that different types of oppression simultaneously affect each other. As a result, the oppressed obtain unique experiences at the intersections of multiple identities. In this case, the study focuses on how African-American women's experiences of oppression are influenced by their class, race, and gender. In "Our Grandmothers," Angelou's literary voice becomes a powerful conduit, amplifying the profound struggles African-American women endured in American society. The research uncovers the intricate ways these women have navigated and resisted systemic oppression by closely analyzing the poem. The poem serves as both a reflection of historical realities and a testament to the resilience of African-American women. This paper is significant because it provides a better and deeper understanding of the oppression that African-American women have historically suffered. It does not present their history of oppression but demonstrates the application of intersectionality to examine a poem by Angelou instead. By focusing on how class, race, and gender intersect within the poem, the study reveals the complexity of these themes and their expression in literature.