In the novel I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings black men suffer more than black women. For instance, in the novel Maya Angelou states, “The Black woman in the South who raises sons, grandsons and nephews had her heartstrings tied to a hanging noose. Any break from routine may herald for them unbearable news” (114). Specifically the black men were in constant fear of being lynched or punished for a crime they did not commit. For example, a used-to-be sheriff warns Momma to tell Uncle Willie to lay low because the “boys” also known as the Klan were out after a black man messed with a white woman. That night Uncle Willie hid in a bin covered with potatoes and onions (17-18). The black men were not safe, and suffered because they had to hid and be
