summary the graduation of maya

she talked about her eighth-grade graduation ceremony in Stamps town where grammar school and high school students take place at the same time. Lafayette County Training school is not like white schools in that it is located only on a hill, has no lawn, no fences and only a vacant lot to be used for basketball and football fields baseball. Very few Lafayette graduates went on to attend agricultural or mechanical schools in the South, which trained them to be farmers or carpenters. Parents in town ordered new shoes and new clothes for their kids in the store for graduation, while the author was wearing a yellow dress that resembled eighth-grade girls made by her Momma. She was very happy and looking forward to the ceremony because she worked so hard to be the first to be named at the graduation ceremony and has also received many gifts from family and friends such as a Mickey Mouse watch from Momma and Uncle Willie, a handkerchief from Louise, a bra from Mrs. Sneed, nickels, or dimes from guests in the store, and a collection of poems by Edgar Allen from her brother. On graduation day, students packed into the stands sang the national anthem, and read the pledge of allegiance, but there were some problems with the machine that gave the author a bad feeling. The principal welcomed parents and students to the ceremony and introduced Edward Donleavy who will address the graduation ceremony which describes the improvements he has made to the white high school after the Baptist minister led the prayer. After that, Henry Reed, the valedictorian of the graduating class whom the author admires, gave a speech titled "To be or not to be" which his teacher helped him write. Following the speech, he begins to sing "Lift ev'ry voice and sing" that all the graduating class, the teacher, and the audience participated in. Finally, she ended her essay with pride and respect for black writers who were and have not been famous.