Its vivid images juxtapose the struggles of the past with those of the present, establishing a connection between the two. For example, the description of a woman "in the tobacco fields of Virginia, / leaning [...] in the palms of her chained hands" is compared to the modern image of a woman "standing [in front] / in front of the abortion clinic, / disconcerted by the lack of choice” (“Our grandmothers” 29-34, 99-101). Angelou uses two images of injustice from very different time periods to show how the oppression of African Americans, particularly women, continued to dominate society. The poem is a “catalyst for a deep understanding of the pain her people endured” for many years (“Our Grandmothers,” 2011, 1). Set during a time in American history when slavery was endemic in the South, Angelou paints a portrait of one of her ancestors chained in tobacco fields. Because Angelou was raised by her grandmother, she developed great respect for those close to her and learned that she must continue the fight for equality that they had started ("Maya Angelou Biography" 2). It also describes the image of an African-American woman in a modern society that does not offer her everything she needs, including the right to abortion. This image is probably a reflection of his life. Being a pregnant teenager with