Still I Rises Analysis

One of the five important core values at Marywood University is empowerment. Marywood defines empowerment as “access to education that enables all to achieve their full potential to live as conscientious citizens in a pluralistic society.” The poem, “Still I Rise,” by Maya Angelou and the novel, A Good Man, by Mark Shriver can be closely related to Marywood’s core value of empowerment.
“Still I Rise” is a poem written by Maya Angelou, an African American woman who asserts herself in her poem. She explains that, although she may upset other people and they may attempt to drag her down, she will still be able to rise above and succeed. Mary Angelou empowers herself by believing and pronouncing that she will rise above and thrive. She makes reference to her race, specifically at the end of the poem, when she uses the word “slave.” Not only does she write the poem for herself, but also for other African Americans that are restricted based on their ancestry.
The novel, A Good Man, written by Mark Shriver discusses the many ways in which his father, Sargent Shriver, empowered himself and everyone around him. One of the many accomplishments in his life was founding the Peace Corps. With their volunteer work, the Peace Corps aims to empower other people so …show more content…
Both Mary Angelou and Sargent Shriver help advocate for others, specifically minorities. Angelou speaks for the African American population in her poem and Shriver’s actions showed his support for people with special needs. Angelou provides a voice against the oppression that African Americans have suffered against for so long. Shriver did the same for special needs children who were treated very poorly during the time. This relates to Marywood’s core value of empowerment because Mary Angelou and Sargent Shriver attempted to give others a chance to reach their full potential, just as Marywood strives to do by providing their students an