![]() ![]() ![]() She will fulfill their dreams and hopes for freedom and happiness. The poet ends her declaration by affirming that no matter what happens, she will continue to rise above history, hate, and bigotry just like her ancestors dreamed would be possible. Whatever the oppressors do, they cannot stop her people from moving forward in their lives. By making references to her ancestors and naming slavery explicitly near the poem's conclusion, she is addressing the collective experiences of her people and stating that they as a race are more powerful than their oppressors. She also speaks on behalf of other black people without actually stating that this is what she is doing. She will break the negative cycle of the past. Nobody will ever take her power away, and she will always rise above the racism, pain, and sexism to be the powerful woman she knows she is. The speaker proclaims boldly that whatever her oppressors do to try to hamper her progress or take away her rights, it will not matter. The poem as a whole is a declaration of strength and of determination. At the same time, she taunts these oppressors, acknowledging the impact of her behaviors and personality and delighting in the fact that she bewilders them with her power and confidence. She notes that her joy seems to make them miserable, and she questions why that is. Initially, she is baffled by the way in which her oppressors-ostensibly, white people and specifically, white males-do not want her to succeed or become more than the sum of her history. The speaker is both angry and confident throughout the poem. Her ancestors were depicted unfairly and dishonestly in history, and she will rise above the cruelty and suffering they experienced. ![]() The poem is directed towards those oppressors in society who would tie the speaker to her past and to a history that has been misrepresented and cannot be relied upon. ![]()
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