Graduation article by Maya Angelou was written in her young adult life. Angelou was an intelligent African American girl that went to a school in Arkansas and graduated class in the 1940’s; even though, at the time Whites and African Americans were segregated; Angelou had good grades and rarely missed school. As Angelou walked into the ceremony she noticed everyone looked very nice, as they had “hair brushed back, legs oiled, new dresses, and pressed pleats, fresh pocket handkerchiefs and little handbags…” ( Pg 80 Line 28 ). The students were sitting down as she noticed something was wrong, as if “something unrehearsed, unplanned, was going to happen…” (pg 81 line 30 ). Her fear of something bad happening came true when the principal announced