Have
you ever had a passion to make a difference in the world? To make a difference
for yourself? Or to make a difference for everyone who is similar to you? There
are countless number of symbols I can think of that have been an example of
this throughout history. After all the world continues to change every day. The
person whom I would like to talk to you about is a strong black female figure
by the name of Maya Angelou. She was an author, poet, singer, and civil rights
activist. She worked alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, two of
the most notorious civil rights activists known in U.S history.
During a time where women were well into practicing their civil rights in America. There was a group of African Americans who were willing to fight for their rights, not to different from the fight for women’s rights. Civil rights activists were willing to go the distance to fight for equality. Through whatever way they could. Through words, speech, or even creative expression.
Marguerite Johnson was Maya’s original name. She was born St. Louis Missouri on April 4th 1928.[1] When she was sixteen she dropped out of high school to pursue a life as a single mother of her only son Guy Johnson. In the Late 1950s she became increasingly committed to her writing skills and joined a group in New York City called the Harlem Writing Guild. It was a group made up entirely of African American Civil right activists. “So say the Asian, the Hispanic, the Jew, the African, the Native American, the Sioux, the Catholic, the Muslim, the French, the Greek, the Irish, the Rabbi, the Priest, the Sheik, the Gay, the straight, the preacher, the privileged, the homeless, the teacher. They hear. They all hear. The speaking of the tree.”[3](Maya Angelou). This line is from her poems titled On the Pulse of the Morning. It’s meant to represent equality and how we are all the same.
During a time where women were well into practicing their civil rights in America. There was a group of African Americans who were willing to fight for their rights, not to different from the fight for women’s rights. Civil rights activists were willing to go the distance to fight for equality. Through whatever way they could. Through words, speech, or even creative expression.
Marguerite Johnson was Maya’s original name. She was born St. Louis Missouri on April 4th 1928.[1] When she was sixteen she dropped out of high school to pursue a life as a single mother of her only son Guy Johnson. In the Late 1950s she became increasingly committed to her writing skills and joined a group in New York City called the Harlem Writing Guild. It was a group made up entirely of African American Civil right activists. “So say the Asian, the Hispanic, the Jew, the African, the Native American, the Sioux, the Catholic, the Muslim, the French, the Greek, the Irish, the Rabbi, the Priest, the Sheik, the Gay, the straight, the preacher, the privileged, the homeless, the teacher. They hear. They all hear. The speaking of the tree.”[3](Maya Angelou). This line is from her poems titled On the Pulse of the Morning. It’s meant to represent equality and how we are all the same.
She
worked closely with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He asked her to coordinate the
Southern Christian
Leadership Conference. The SCLC is a Civil Rights organization completely
made up of African Americans that is still around today[2]. Unfortunately MLK was
killed on April 4th 1968, Maya’s birthday. She found comfort in her
writing and she wrote one of her most famous autobiographies I Know Why the Cage Bird Sings. A book
about her childhood from parents’ divorce to her siblings bond with her. “Words
mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse
them with shades of deeper meaning.” [1] I chose this quote from
the book because I it reflects on a women’s write to have a voice and that if
we don’t speak up no one will understand or listen.
Maya
Angelou opened up many fields for women today. She was incredibly successful in
living the life she lived. Being an author, producer, singer, actress, poet, and
civil rights activist. She was a very passionate individual that expressed
herself in a variety of ways that made it ok for us to follow in her footsteps.
It was very unusual to see a black female back then do what she did. She is an
inspiration.
Maya Angelou Receiving the Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2011
Photo: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/Angelou_Obama.jpg
1. Angelou, Maya. I know why the
caged bird sings. New York: Random House, n.d. Print.
2. "Maya Angelou Timeline." Maya Angelou Timeline. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 8 Feb. 2017. <http://www.datesandevents.org/people-timelines/19-maya-angelou-timeline.htm>.
3. "Maya Angelou." Academy of Achievement. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 9 Feb. 2017.
<http://www.achievement.org/achiever/maya-angelou/>.
4. Angelou, Maya. On the pulse
of morning. New York: Random House, 1993. Print.
5. About Us." Southern Christian Leadership
Conference. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Feb. 2017.
<http://nationalsclc.org/about-us/>.
I enjoyed reading your article because I love to read poetry that is written for causes bigger than the poets themselves. I love how the words and messages laced in each line carry an effect to all the hear it. When combined with activism and struggle of an entire generation, the words carry even more power to the audience. Racial discrimination was a problem in Angelou’s day and it still is now. Thanks to her and others who decided that enough is enough and united for a better future for later generations, I as an African American I am able to relish in the freedoms that they couldn’t. Her work reminds me of Atticus Finch from To Kill A Mockingbird. Both raised their voices to unjust prejudice, not only because it was morally right to do so but it would be wrong not to. Of the Maya Angelou poems/books you read, which one is your favorite?
ReplyDelete-Terryl F.
Terryl,
DeleteThank you so much for reading my work. I could not agree more. I am a big poetry fan my self and Maya, in my opinion, is one of the best. Her words she uses held such power in the process of working towards the end of racial discrimination and I am so happy I got to honor her in this way. Unfortunately I have never read/seen To Kill a Mockingbird but if that's how Atticus is, I could not agree more in their similarities. I am so happy my article helped you think not only of Maya but helped you connect back to other sources.
My favorite work by Maya Angelou is I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
DeleteI've read a lot about Maya Angelou and this article is one of the most interesting ones. I liked how you grabbed the reader's attention by asking a few questions in the beginning. It also gives me a better look at how Maya Angelou was as a civil rights activist by comparing her to Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. I really enjoy reading about African Americans standing up for their rights and the whole Black Lives Matter movement. It makes me think about how Maya Angelou would react and what she would do if she was still alive. Maya reminds of Malala Yousafzai and how they both went above and beyond to stand up for what they believe in.
ReplyDeleteAre there any civil rights activists that play an important role in your life?
-Rachana P
Rachana,
DeleteI appreciate you saying that. My goal here was to not only give a run down of her accomplishments but be able to educate people on Maya the activist and less Maya the artist, even though both make up who she is. I can't help but believe that if she was alive now she would do what she did then, write poetry that speaks on the behalf of equality. To answer your question, Maya plays an important role in my life which is why I chose to honor her in this way. Thank you
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ReplyDeleteAs I was reading this article, my first initial thought was wow. Maya Angelou has accomplished so many things in her life as a woman, especially in such a rough time with racism. Maya did not let anything bring her down and this except made me realize that. Even when one of her closest peers, Martin Luther King, was shot and killed, she found comfort in writing and this makes me look up to her even more. She took it upon herself to carry on. It makes me want to be more like her when I get older and to stick up for things I believe in. Maya reminds me of Scout from To Kill A Mockingbird, because they both grew up around the same time, where racism was so common. They are both strong and independent young woman and if a situation arises they find a way to overcome it. And my question for you is, what possessed you to write about Maya Angelou and what was one of your favorite traits that she has?
ReplyDelete- Erin M
Erin,
DeleteI am really happy I was able to educate you in Maya's life. She always found comfort in writing and poetry. She believed that communicating through poetry was the most effective way to get the message across to the world. I wrote about Maya Angelou because in high school I was taught about her life but I never scratched the surface on her activist work. There was knowledge for me to gain as well. I think my favorite trait about her is how she has been through so much and yet she never gave up, it's very inspiring.
This article showcases a much more common woman than some of the other maybe extremely smart women who I have read about on this blog. She doesn't have too much education, but she uses the one gift that she has, which is her words, in order to make a stand. It reminds me a lot of the boys from The Lord Of The Flies. They start out as plain old schoolboys, but when they get wrecked on a deserted island some must step up from the crowd and lead the others. This is what Maya Angelou did and it is an inspiring thing to see even today. My question to you is who do you think the Maya Angelou's are in the current protests for more civil liberties such as the gay rights movement?
ReplyDeleteMax,
DeleteMaya has always been unique and I'm happy you have recognized that. She uses her words and language to try to change the world. Unfortunately I have never read The Lord Of The Flies but I can see the comparison so clearly. During the time of the Civil Rights movement it was not common to see a black woman work as hard as she did and was actually able to be heard. Unfortunately I am not educated enough in the current movement to be able to pick a present activist that holds Maya's qualities. I feel as though Maya even plays a roll today, in helping women realize that they have a voice that deserves to be heard.
All of the information I have learned about Maya Angelou in the past has been from historical documentaries and short articles. This article spoke of her earlier life and how she grew up, facts which I never knew. I am amazed how Maya was a strong civil rights activist, and how impressive her writings were as well. Maya Angelou reminds me of Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird. The quote you used shows that Maya Angelou wanted equality for people of all races, not just African Americans. This is like how Atticus' strive for equality was not just about defending Tom Robinson, but the greater picture and what he represented. If Maya Angelou was with us today, what do you think some of the topics she would write about would be?
ReplyDelete-Evan
Evan,
DeleteI am so happy this was able to educate you on parts of her life you did not know about. Her works of writing helped her communicate to her audience the importance of civil rights and equality. I am not to familiar with Atticus in To Kill a Mockingbird, but I couldn't agree more on their comparison, based on the information you provided. I she was with us today, I can only think that she would write informative poems on the current civil rights issues in our country today.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteBefore reading this article, my knowledge on Maya Angelou was very limited, I only knew about her accomplishments as a poet. After reading this article, i can’t help but be impressed at the amount of work she put in for civil rights especially in a time where women were less acknowledged then men. Her values especially on racial discrimination and equality reminds me of Atticus Finch from To Kill A Mockingbird as he also stood up for what he believed in during a time where defending that belief was seen as a disgrace. I have read a part of her autobiography, I Know Why the Cage Bird Sings, and thought it was very symbolic. I wanted to know what you were thinking while you were writing this article and if there was a particular reason as to why you chose Maya?
ReplyDeleteTrangvy,
DeleteI am so happy I got to enlighten you on Maya and her life. Yes her poetry is one of her biggest accomplishments but it's the meaning behind her work that makes her an activist. I Know Why the Cage Bird Sings is a great reference to learn about her early life and I also agree that it is very symbolic. While I was writing it, my only thought was how can I write about Maya in the most effective way to help my audience grasp her accomplishments fully. I wanted to be able to do her justice. I have always been interested in Maya Angelou since high school, writing this was a knowledgeable experience for me as well.
I have always been a fan of Maya Angelou's poetry, however I never stopped to consider the context in which it was written. Who is Maya Angelou besides a poet? I never once asked myself that question. This is true to most well known people. It’s difficult to see someone in a different light when you have already been given a definition. Thus, learning about Maya Angelou as a person was interesting. My interest was instantly captured through the questions in the beginning. I had no idea she worked alongside Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. She accomplished so much despite the setbacks of being an African American woman living in a racist patriarchal society. She reminded me of Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird. Atticus Finch, the father of the protagonist, fought for equality in a time and place where doing so was unthinkable, similar to Maya Angelou as a civil rights activist. Atticus fought through the court while Angelou made her mark through her writing. What about Maya Angelou sparked your interest? Was it initially her poetry or her life as an individual? Did you refer to Maya Angelou’s works as a primary source while building your article as well?
ReplyDeleteNisha,
DeleteI to thought Maya was merely a poet and that was it. This was a learning experience for me as well. I have never read/seen To Kill a Mockingbird but I could not agree more on the comparison based on the information that you provided. I was also shocked to learn that she worked along side MLK and Malcolm X, It was hard to be a woman and be heard during the civil rights movement. Maya has sparked my interested since the first time I read I Know Why The Cage Bird Sings. It was stories about her life that drew me to learn more about her. Yes, I think I referred to her work as a primary source.
Maya Angelou was only a poet as far as I knew before reading this article. Now I know she was much more and even had the opportunity to work with some of the greatest civil rights fighters like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. She fought for civil rights just as hard as the other men around her did, even though women weren't as respected as men were at this time. It shows how even though she was in the minority she still stood up for what she believed in. This is similar to Atticus from To Kill A Mockingbird, who fought for black man in court even though the majority of the population didn't want him to because in the setting of the book people were very racist. My question is if you could interview Maya Angelou and ask her one question, what would you ask?
ReplyDeleteJosh,
DeleteI'm so happy you have seen a whole other side to Maya that you have not yet previously seen. You probably never knew she worked along side some of the greatest activists in history because females in history are widely discredited for what they have done. I think you will find this a lot unfortunately. I don't know if I could answer your question with just one response. There is just so much I would want to ask her. How did it feel to live in a time when you were barely heard and fighting for equality? In a time, where I can only imagine, felt like nearly impossible standards to meet? Those are the questions I would ask. There such strength and resilience in what she did.
I think it was amazing for her to help fight for two different causes at the same time and still have so much success. She prevailed in a time where African-Americans were being discriminated against as well as women, who were seen as not as capable as men. She still fought despite these prejudices and ended up working with some of the greatest civil rights leaders of their time. I find it amazing she had the strength to keep going even though she probably wasn't taken seriously for a long time.
DeleteMaya Angelou was passion and perseverance personified. She exuded confidence an had a level of pride in her skin color and gender that was admirable. The presentation of her life and works in this piece is more intimate and personal. She lived through a bleak period of American history for African Americans, a time of institutionalized racism, racial segregation and overt misogyny. However, she was not subservient in the face of persecution, daring to stand in opposition to society. She publicized her condemnation of a society that was characterized by racial and social inequities, through her influential and instrumental role in the historic civil right movement, that revolutionized the course of blacks. The fictional character, Atticus Finch, in Harper Lee's classic, To kill a mockingbird, so exemplifies these attributes. Set in Maycomb Alabama during 1930s, an overtly racist county, Atticus, a white lawyer, expresses his belief in an racially egalitarian society, by defending a black man, Tom Robinson, who is wrongfully accused of rape. Defending a black person during that era was a sacrilege, a sin. He was willing to bear the consequences that resulted from his actions, such as threats to his own family, in order that his voice of reason and equality could be heard. In your opinion do you think there is anyone who can measure up to Maya in this present generation? And regarding your research process, how were you ale discern between what is credible and what isn't? And thank you for the enlightenment. -Miracle
ReplyDeleteMaya Angelou also wrote pieces that were focused on women empowerment, such as "Phenomenal woman" and her work as a women's rights activist still lives on, which was on display at the women's march that took place, which sent resounding message to authority, that women's rights were not be overlooked.
DeleteMiracle,
DeleteI would like to thank you for all your insight on the topic. She fought along side some of the greatest civil rights activists in history in order to work towards pursuing equality amongst the races. Today still the battle is far from over. The fact that she is still here touching the lives of the youngest generation is a powerful thing. I hope her words give women the strength to speak. Unfortunately I have not read/seen To Kill a Mockingbird. But based on the scene you have portrayed to me they do seem quite similar. I am not educated enough in our current activist movement to choose who resembles Maya's ethics the most. My hopes are that artists and creative thinkers of today will shine brightly as a reflection of Maya. After reading some of her most famous novels I was able differentiate between credible and not so credible sources.
Maya Angelou was a woman with pure dedication to the art that she loved. She was faced with so much adversity in life from her race, gender, and having to drop out of high school to care for her child. She was directly involved with the Civil Rights Movement, a good friend of Martin Luther King Jr., and used her poetry to carry out messages of the movement. I was instantly pulled towards this article, since I have read about her and read her poetry in the past. She inspired me back then and continues to do so. Her story makes me think of the novel, "To Kill a Mockingbird," since Atticus was defending Tom Robinson, an African American accused of raping a white woman before the Civil Rights Movement. His struggle is reminiscent of what Maya was fighting for. However, unlike Tom Robinson, she overcame her race and became a successful poet in the face of adversity. Finally, since we will be doing this at some point and it would be amazing if mine could be as good as yours, I was curious about how many times you edited this before deciding it was complete?
ReplyDeleteLily,
DeleteIt's so good to here that you are a fan. Maya continued to surprise me as I was researching her. There were things I didn't know and it was a learning experience for me as well. I have not read/seen To Kill a Mockingbird unfortunately but thank you for enlightening me on the comparison. I am happy you were able to connect it back to something you are familiar with. The editing process I feel is always a little tricky. After looking over it my self, I had two peer edits before I was satisfied. Thank you for the lovely compliments.
Personally, I have always found Maya Angelou to be an inspiration to women everywhere. I loved your article because it showed her as not just a poet but an activist, and I loved how it brought all her strengths to life. I can remember reading "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" in middle school and being astonished by her story. I truly think she is an inspiration and beacon of hope to sexual assault victims because of how strongly and beautifully she speaks of her experiences. However, I found your article super interesting because I had never heard of her work with Martin Luther King Jr. or Malcolm X. I was happy to see someone shining light on the women leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, but I felt so bad when I learned that Dr. King had been killed on her birthday. I couldn't believe I had never heard that before.
ReplyDeleteLast year, we read a book called "The House On Mango Street." In this story, a young girl struggles with poverty, racism, and sexism, however she still fights to better her life and find a voice for those struggling along with her. I couldn't help but see the parallels between her and Maya while reading, especially because both women use their writing as a method of activism.
I was wonder why you chose Maya Angelou to write about? Has she been a long time inspiration to you? How did you come across her work?
Thanks! -Rory
Rory,
DeleteThank you so much for recognizing my goal. I wanted to portray her as not Maya Angelou the poet but as Maya Angelou the activist, though both make up who she is. We never hear about that side of her, even I didn't until I wrote about her. It was a learning experience for me as well. I also read The House On Mango Street I can see the similarities you display so clearly. That was a great comparison! I chose to write about Maya because I have read her books and high school but I wanted to learn what else I could uncover, I never knew she was an activist. She is also one of my favorite authors and people in history.
Certainly one of the more contemporary women written about on this blog, would it be assumative of me to suggest that Maya Angelou is a household name? It seems that everyone knows who she is, especially as a writer, but never as an activist or mother or just a woman. The fact that she dropped out of high school to raise her son, and to my knowledge, didn't receive a college degree is incredible. She became one of the most prominent modern poets and doesn't even have a bachelor's. The most easy connection I was able to make was to the titular character of the CW's Jane the Virgin. Jane Villanueva on the show is an aspiring writer who had to deal with pregnancy and raising a child. It's a well acted and written show, albeit a bit soapy. But back to Maya, I had no idea she worked with civil rights leaders like MLK or Malcom X. I tend to draw lines between fields, which is something I'm working on personally. Maya Angelou just passed away recently, but I'm really surprised there hasn't been any attempts to adapt her life and story as a movie or mini series. Asking the author of this article, what was your first exposure to Angelou's work, and did it leave any impact on you personally?
ReplyDeleteEmily,
DeleteIt is alright to assume that Maya Angelou is a household name. After all these years her work reaches even the youngest generations. It is amazing what she did with her life, she had such strength. I appreciate the comparison to Jane the Virgin. I used to watch the show and can see exactly where you are coming from. If they ever decide to recreate her life in a movie or mini series, my guess it wont be for a long time. Unfortunately females in history have been widely discredited for what they have done. For example if you have seen the recent film titled Hidden Figures, it is about the black females impact in the early 1960s revolving around the space launch. I never knew that women were some of the brains behind the operation until this year. We should've known a long time ago. I believe Maya will make it to the big screen one day. My first exposure to her work was when I was in my High School English class and my teacher assigned us I Know Why the Cage Bird Sings. I instently fell in love with it.
I saw Hidden Figures back in December (? I think) and I absolutely adored it. Showcasing phenomenal talent in the main stream is always a good thing, especially in cases of POC, given the historic erasure. A Maya Angelou biographic series would be fantastic in so many ways, I can't believe I didn't consider it before. Depending on creative direction it could be a straight-up biographic drama in the vein of films like Lion (2016) or Theory of Everything (2014). Those were a couple of major awards contenders and done correctly a Maya Angelou biography be similarly received. I'm also aware of the possibility of a mini-series on cable, with something like HBO helming it. They did the Liberace biographic series and the Nick Wasicsko series and both were similarly praised. Your passion for her, along with so many others' makes me want to revisit or completely pick up her work. In fact, I think I will.
DeleteMaya Angelou is a name I have heard of before, but never knew anything about at all. I have read "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" and loved it. It is surprising to me how much a person can make themselves known, I knew about her without even knowing her. You did a wonderful job giving information about her life that some may not know about her. For example, we know her from her poem, but not from her work with Martin Luther King Jr. I love when people, especially women of her time, can make so many differences and make their voice heard. She defied the odds of her time. She did not care what others would think and did what was right and earned herself an award given to her by the president. Similar to the other students in my class.. how did you come across her work in the first place and why did it stick out to you?
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Tucker D.
Tucker,
DeleteI am so happy that you were able to gain some knowledge from my article about something you knew very minimal about. I wanted to be able to speak on the behalf of her activist works. Though she is a poet and an artist. There is still more to her then what meets the eye. I have never even heard she was an activist until I decided to write this article. It was a learning experience for me as well. It puts Maya in a whole new light. In my high school English class my teacher assigned us I Know Why the Cage Bird Sings, that was the first time she was introduced to me. She has been one of my favorite authors ever since.