N Maya Angelou's poem "Caged Bird," what does the cage represent?

jim crow laws

Explanation:

although african americans were freed from slavery they were still held back do to segregation. the jim crow laws made it legal to have "whites only" water fountains or public buildings

The metaphor "caged bird" reoccurs throughout the poem "Caged Bird" written by N Maya Angelou. It symbolizes the theme of the poem about the African American people who were oppressed by the Whites in their own land. The cage represents the land which belongs to the native Americans but because of the Whites' dominance over it, the natives had lost control over it. Though in captivity, the caged bird sings the songs of freedom hoping that some of the other day it will also fly freely in the air.