Women's History Month intends to honor, inspire, educate, unite and promote women in the face of forces intent on subjugating and silencing them. It is about those who overcame overt and imbedded assumptions and prejudice to be their best selves. RGB said it well:
“I ask no favor for my sex. All I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks.”
DAY X: MAYA ANGELOU
(Free image, courtesy of William J. Clinton Presidential Library)
Eloquent, motivating and moving writings have made Maya a long time favorite of mine.
Maya was an American memoirist, poet, and civil rights activist, whose published works are vast. She is best known for her unique and pioneering autobiographical writing style. She has authored seven autobiographies, three books of essays, and numerous books of poetry, and is credited with plays, movies and television shows spanning a fifty year period. She was a correspondent in Egypt and Ghana during decolonization, and was a college professor.
Maya credits an early school teacher with her love of poetry and literature, introducing her to Dickens, Shakespeare, Poe, Harper and others. Her young adulthood was filled with dance and stage performance, but also marked her dabbling with writing. That became a full time effort in her early thirties, when she connected with numerous African American authors in New York.
This also brought her to connect with Martin Luther King, Jr. She went on to contribute to the civil rights movement as a fundraiser and activist, working closely with King, Malcolm X and others. Successes in film, music, stage and writing followed, and she became a close friend and mentor to Oprah Winfrey. In 1981, she accepted a lifetime professorship at Wake Forest University, despite never earning a bachelor’s degree. She taught courses in philosophy, theology, science, theater, and writing. Sales of her books and poetry continued to earn her accolades, and she has recited her works at the inaugurations of President Clinton.
Maya was one of the first African American women to make a living from writing, and was heralded for her broadened appeal across racial, economic, and educational boundaries.
She has been awarded more than 50 honorary degrees for her excellence, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011. Her image appears on the quarter coin as part of the American Quarter series.
Her books are commonly used to discuss race relations and addressing obstacles facing children in America. Maya is recognized as a spokesperson for all people who are committed to raising the moral standards of living in the United States.
Find out more at https://www.mayaangelou.com
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