A Rhetorical Analysis Of Intellectual, By Maya Angelou

By the early 1990s, Maya Angelou’s inauguration poem, spoken at Bill Clinton’s inauguration in 1992, reflected upon the identity of “hyphenated Americans.” In her speech, she speaks about the diversity present in America. In fact, the United States is comprised of various ethnicities, all unique in their own way. With various ethnic groups living in the United States, this country truly is a nation of diverse cultures and languages. However, it was not always like this. In her poem, Angelou conveys her understanding of America’s historical problems regarding race. In the past, it was especially hard for “hyphenated Americans” to peacefully live in America. In fact, anyone who was not an Anglo-Saxon male was treated differently. In spite of everything, Angelou wants people to lift up their eyes and give birth to the dream they have been longing for; a new administration (Document 13). With this new administration, …show more content…
In 2008, President Barack Obama spoke about his election and what it was like being the first African-American president. In his victory speech, Obama defined Americanism as not “just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states” (Document 14), but a great nation known as the United States of America. He truly believed that an American was not found in the individual, but instead in the entire community. He simply deemed that anyone who loved America was an American. As the first person of color to become President of the United States of America, his election broke the homogenous image of white Americans and replaced it with one full of color and vibrancy. Seeing that the country was founded on slaves, the election of Obama was truly something made different. Although he won the election, he regarded it as a victory for the entire nation because as they celebrated that night, Obama knew that they would face challenges the next day (Document