February is Black History Month. I used to have my students study the, mostly ignored, history of black people in the United States. I intend to celebrate 29 black history events/people/and the first person is Maya Angelou.
This is stolen from http://www.mayaangelou.com/ShortBio.html
On The Pulse of Morning
Maya Angelou is hailed as one of the great voices of contemporary literature and as a remarkable Renaissance woman. Being a poet, educator, historian, best-selling author, actress, playwright, civil-rights activist, producer and director, Dr. Angelou continues to travel the world making appearances, spreading her legendary wisdom.
A mesmerizing vision of grace, swaying and stirring when she moves, Dr. Angelou captivates her audiences lyrically with vigor, fire and perception. She has the unique ability to shatter the opaque prisms of race and class between reader and subject throughout her books of poetry and her autobiographies.
Dr. Angelou has authored twelve best-selling books including I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and her current best-seller A Song Flung Up to Heaven.
In 1981, Dr. Angelou was appointed to a lifetime position as the first Reynolds Professor of American Studies at Wake Forest University.
In January 1993, she became only the second poet in U.S. History to have the honor of writing and reciting original work at the Presidential Inauguration.
The poem ends with these lines.
Here, on the pulse of this fine day
You may have the courage
To look up and out upon me,
The rock, the river, the tree, your country.
No less to Midas than the mendicant.
No less to you now than the mastodon then.
Here on the pulse of this new day
You may have the grace to look up and out
And into your sister's eyes,
Into your brother's face, your country
And say simply
Very simply
With hope
Good morning.
2 comments:
THANK YOU, Bro. Jay, for writing about Maya Angelou! Beyond any question, she is one of the greatest Americans alive, and one of the most gifted. Anyone who doesn't believe that needs to read her books, to hear her read her poetry--and to investigate more deeply her truly heroic life.
Before anyone asks the question, Dr. Angelou read the poem you quote at Pres. Clinton's first inauguration. The only other poet to read at a presidential inauguration was Robert Frost, at John F. Kennedy's. Frost was an old man at the time, and had a hard time reading because the sun was shining in hie eyes.
Both Frost's and Angelou's poems are memorable.
To my mind, it takes a classy person to invite a national treasure like Robert Frost or Maya Angelou to appear at the center of the world stage on inauguration day. Like them--agree with them politically--or not, it says something good about Presidents Kennedy and Clinton.
What a great idea to honor black history month. I look forward to each and every day.
Maya Angelou's work is a favorite of mine. And as John said (great comments!) - to hear her read her poetry is wonderful.
I saw her recently on Oprah's show - she was teasing O about how much O admires her. She said that O "quotes me so often I get the feeling she thinks she wrote it..."
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