If you don't know who Maya Angelou is, SHAME ON YOUR PARENTS, TEACHERS, FRIENDS! Miraculously, many americans don't know who she is. If you took a few minutes to enjoy the above clips, you know that she has a rare talent of writing and performing what she writes.
Maya Angelou came to Salt Lake City in 2000 to celebrate 100 years since the African art expo that W.E.B. Dubois organized in Paris in 1900, launching the important literary movement known as the "Harlem Reinasance".
I was a student at Brigham Young University and was lucky enough to be taking a class on African American Literature from my favorite professor, Dr. Gloria Cronin (she still teaches...if you want a challenge, go register for one of her classes, she is an awesome professor). She prepared us for the conference by having us read Wallace Thurman, James Baldwin, Richard Wright, John Edgar Wideman, Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou and my personal favorite Zora Neale Hurston. We studied the historical context of all the literature and with that, we all headed off to Salt Lake City to witness the largest gathering of African Americans EVER in Utah!
So there was a week long conference in Salt Lake City celebrating 100 years of African American Art. It was a rare opportunity. We got to see the Alvin Ailey dancers, we heard from leading literary critics discussing the intricacies of the literature we'd read as a class. We were wee witnesses to many greats. Hearing John Edgar Wideman and his son read was magic...they read this piece that talked about playing basketball in their ghetto neighborhood, and the rhythm of the words SOUNDED like dribbling and shooting and slam dunking. The culminating event was Maya Angelou in concert. A local bank had sponsored student tickets so that we could go for $10! If you have the chance to hear her today (rare), you'll pay over $100 per ticket.
The night was magical. I took my aunt Nathelle and we were in awe at the majesty of Maya's voice, her wit, her height and overall, her message of freedom and personal power. I was changed forever that night, and I know Nathelle was thrilled to witness that with me. Maya is a survivor who beat the odds and her strength inspires me. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is a great intro to her life (beware, there is a graphic scene in the beginning...because her life was graphic at times). If you ever get the chance to hear her in person, TAKE IT! PAY THE MONEY, it is worth it!
My favorite poem by Maya Angelou is Phenomenal Woman.
Who ranks among your heroes?
3 comments:
i know why the caged bird sings is one of my all time favorite books. i chose it for my book at my book club and was so disappointed when no one finished it...can you believe that?
i think they were more of a twilight crowd, if you know what i mean?
maya angelou is AMAZING, i love when she is on oprah.
My Hero?
You may know him. He carries the weight of the world on his shoulders but still finds time to treat his ladies with tenderness and love. The world tells him he's a fool but he ingnores the criticism. He chose family over the glory of the world. He stands for truth and virtue in a world of depravity. He is called husband, father, leader, supervisor, partner. I just call him Chris.
i love to listen to her speak as well. some of my favorite quotes are from her.
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