Its vivid imagery juxtaposes the struggles of the past with those of the present, providing a connection between the two. For example, the description of a woman “in the tobacco fields of Virginia, / leaning [...] on the palms of her shackled hands” is compared to the modern image of a woman “stand[ing] / in front of the clinic for abortions, / confused by the lack of choices” (“Our Grandmothers” 29-34, 99-101). Angelou uses the two images of injustice from very different time periods to show how the oppression of African Americans, particularly women, has continued to dominate society. The poem is a “catalyst for a deep understanding of the pain her people have endured” over many years (“Our Grandmothers,” 2011, 1). Set in the era of American history when slavery was rampant in the South, Angelou paints a picture of one of her ancestors chained in the tobacco fields. Because Angelou was raised by her grandmother, she developed considerable respect for her relatives and learned that she must continue the fight for equality that they started ("Maya Angelou Biography" 2). It also depicts the image of an African American woman in a modern society that does not offer her everything she needs, especially the right to abortion. This image is probably a reflection of his life. Being a pregnant teenager with