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/>.
