Story Teller, Poetess, Civil Rights Leader, Inclusion Advocate, Newspaper Editor, Dropout, Street Car Driver, Waitress, Songstress, Dancer, Movie Director, Actress, Composer, Teacher, Professor, Mother, Memoirist, Multi-linguist, Grammy Award Winner, Presidential Medal of Freedom Awardee…and so much more.
Through her uncanny story telling gift, Maya Angelou taught the world that it is freeing to “get down inside yourself”. She encouraged us to meet our fears, pain and the injustices of the world head on. She taught us to turn seeming obstacles into opportunities. She is credited with saying “I created myself”, gently urging each of us to create our own unique selves.
Not many people are able to go deeply into their inner being and pull out their potential for greatness. We all have it, but few find it during their lifetime. For me, Maya Angelou stands with the likes of Gandhi, Mother Theresa, and Pope Francis in achieving a level of consciousness that many new thought authors call “enlightenment”.
Operating at the level of enlightenment she could authentically tell us Why the Caged Bird Sings and have us understand it in ways not possible for those who had never made those deep connections within.
She was a giant among giants, standing alongside other major change agents of our time such as Malcolm X, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, and Nelson Mandela. She influenced presidents and heads of state spanning the globe with her message of courage, perseverance and love.
Dr. Angelou’s calm, confident, graceful demeanor not only inspired but ignited that deep in the soul potential that we all have. She asked us to “sharpen our senses”, “toughen our will” and show up boldly and proudly as ourselves.
A strong advocate for inclusion, she found beauty in everyone and everything and in story and song helped us to see a world where our diversity is truly our strength.
So many of her poems touched my spirit but the one that I was always drawn to is Phenomenal Woman. As African American women we too often compare ourselves to the White women using them as the standard for body type, hair and overall look. In Phenomenal Woman, while not specifying a particular race, she speaks to the “span of my hips” and “the curl of my lips”.
Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size
But when I start to tell them,They think I’m telling lies.
I say, It’s in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I’m a woman
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.
The rest of the poem can be found here.
One of her great works, a collection of essays “Wouldn’t Take Nothing for My Journey Now”, had a profound impact, teaching me to be grateful for every experience that I have had— good and bad.
Thank you Dr. Angelou for sharing your gift with the world. Enjoy your rest with the angels. Your spirit will live on forever.
